Shubhabrata Dutta
Created by Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, ‘North of North’ is a Netflix comedy series centering on Siaja, a 26-year-old modern Inuk woman living in the town of Ice Cove, the heart of the Arctic. She is married to the town’s golden boy, Ting, and has a 7-year-old daughter, Bun. However, an accident brings her back to her senses to take control of her life, and she exits her marriage, taking Bun and moving in with her mother, Nevee.
Siaja now has to navigate a new phase of her life, and as easy and refreshing as it seems, a new start comes with many jerks, unpredictable and often hilarious. She does manage to find a job at the local community center. However, something feels missing from her life as she is often misunderstood or called out for her precarious position in life. How tough can a new start be? The premise of ‘North of North,’ which is Netflix’s first original Canadian series, stems from Siaja’s newfound loneliness/out-of-place feeling, of which the Arctic becomes a symbol. Needless to say, she shares a certain scarcity with Ice Cove, and the show takes good care of the aspect by showcasing the settings and filming locations.
Where Was North of North Filmed?
‘North of North’ was filmed almost entirely on location in Iqaluit, the northernmost Canadian city and the capital of Nunavut, and partly in Ontario. Helmed by Aglok MacDonald and Arnaquq-Baril, both Nunavut natives, the shooting commenced on March 14, 2024, and ended in mid-June of the same year. While the snow may have seemingly served as the background for all exterior shots, the team scouted the most gorgeous locations to use as backgrounds and establishing shots, ensuring the first scripted series set in Nunavut looks as beautiful on screen as the location itself. The crew had a new kind of experience filming in such a remote neighborhood, and the cast, too, had a great time, both parties embracing the Iqaluit community and celebrating their time together with bonfires, star-gazing, and more.
Iqaluit, Nunavut
Principal photography took place mostly out of Iqaluit, located on Baffin Island, Nunavut, and partly in Ontario. ‘North of North’ follows a young woman trying to find a new way in her community. So, the latter plays a significant role in the show, and this is why care was taken to incorporate as much of Iqaluit as possible, including the tundra valleys, the snow-capped peaks, and the buildings, while making certain that it uplifted the narrative and the aesthetic. The primary purpose for using the location was to showcase the Inuit, their lifestyle, and their culture. “What we wanted to do was tell a story that felt more like how we experience our lives in the Arctic, which is bright — colorful,” Aglok MacDonald told CBC.
The crew faced many challenges, especially due to the scarcity of production equipment. They had to build the sets in Toronto, tear them down, fly them to Iqaluit, and rebuild them for the shoot. Arnaquq-Baril stated how the whole project was like filming “on the moon.” In the absence of film studios at the location, the production team rented the Iqaluit Curling Club (rink), located at 4 Niaqunngusiariaq, Iqaluit, which was then turned into a temporary studio with sets for filming. It was used to capture the interior shots while a new permanent studio was being built in the commercial West 40 area for a potential second season. “Filming in the curling rink is a one-time thing. It’s used a lot by the community, and we can’t take it away on an ongoing basis. So we urgently got down to fundraising to build the studio,” said Aglok MacDonald.
The Nakasuk School, located at 1 Ring Road, Iqaluit, and the Unikkaarvik Visitor Centre, at 220 Sinaa Street, and the area around them were also used to capture various indoor and outdoor shots. Much of the filming also took place in Apex, a small Iqaluit community. Surrounded by water and hills, the place, traditionally known as “Niaqunngut,” offers stunning backdrops, highlighting its beauty and aesthetic. The place also carries historical significance since it was one of the three “Crystal” weather sites in the Canadian Arctic region during World War II. This adds another layer of authenticity to the narrative.
Filming had to be paused twice due to the lack of various facilities, including accommodation issues. Director Anya Adams stated how the first four episodes experienced the many logistics-related problems but once that was sorted out, “it was also helping the community understand what we were doing so that they could get behind us and not feel impacted.” Furthermore, the Netflix collaboration brought a hefty budget, streamlining the project for the team and ultimately helping it to put Iqaluit on the global map as an exotic shooting spot.
Lake Ontario, Ontario
Filming also took place in Ontario, specifically Lake Ontario, which served as a base for the scenes set in boats. Owing to its huge size, it was used to double as an Iqaluit waterbody, with no buildings in view in any direction. This helped emphasize the show’s title, which is a way of expressing how deep in the middle of nowhere it is set.
North of North Cast Details
Anna Lambe leads the ‘North of North’ cast. She pulls off her role as the sweet protagonist with a never-give-up attitude with ease, garnishing her performance with a dash of humor and subtle slapstick. She is a native of Iqaluit, which naturally enables her to imbibe the character and bring a sense of realism. Lamb is joined by Jay Ryan, who brings emotional weight to the story through his role. His character is connected to Lambe’s, and this connection serves as a major plot point in the narrative.
Anna Lambe as Siaja
Anna Lambe plays Siaja, a young Inuk woman who believes she can give more to her community than just her husband’s pictures. A nice person to the core, she is forced to juggle two worlds: one she shares with her secretive mom and the other, her new workplace. A student of International Development and Globalization at the University of Ottawa, Lambe had no intention of getting into acting until she bagged the role of Spring in the movie ‘The Grizzlies,’ her debut. She has never had to look back ever since. Her other notable roles include Sarah in ‘Trickster,’ Kayla Malee in ‘True Detective: Night Country,’ and Alice Porter in ‘Alaska Daily.’
Jay Ryan as Alistair
Jay Ryan is a New Zealand actor who plays Alistair. Many of you will recognize him from ‘It Chapter Two,’ where he plays the adult version of Ben Hanscom. He has many TV shows to his credit, the recent ones being ‘Territory,’ where he plays Campbell Miller; ‘Creameries,’ where we see him as Bobby; and ‘Mary Kills People,’ where he plays Detective Ben Wesley. We also see him as Gallagher in ‘Muru.’
The other cast members of ‘North of North’ include Maika Harper, who plays Siaja’s mother, Neevee; Kelly William, who plays Siaja’s husband/ex-husband Ting; and Keira Belle Cooper, who plays Siaja’s daughter, Bun. The extended cast includes Braeden Clarke as Kuuk, Bailey Poching as Colin, Mary Lynn Rajskub as Helen, Zorga Qaunaq as Millie, Doreen Nutaaq Simmonds as Elisapee, Vinnie Karetak as Jeffrey, Jennifer Kilabuk as Lucy, Malaya Qaunirq Chapman as Auntie Eva, Scott Monteith as Mikey, Anisya Todd as Judy, Taylor Hickson as Alexis, Solomon Awa as Lazarus, and Laakkuluk Williamson-Bathory as Auntie Vicky.
Read More: Sinister Surgeon: Filming Locations and Cast Details
