Before Tomorrow (2008)
Circa 1840. Some Inuit tribes still have never met white people, although rumors circulate about where they come from and why they travel. After many years of isolation, two families meet for a happy summertime celebration. Elders tell stories, young people get married, plans are made for the future and food is abundant. In the joyful surroundings, Ningiuq, an old woman of strength and wisdom, cannot stop worrying. She sees the world around her as fragile and feels dread for something she does not fully understand. Is it the illness of her best friend, Kutuguk? Her own sense of mortality? Or something about the curious object her grandson Maniq found on the beach?
In 1990 Marie-Hélène Cousineau went from her native Montreal to Igloolik, Nunavut, where she was integral to the development of Arnait Video Productions, a group of women who have worked together in filmmaking and community artistic productions. With Madeline Ivalu, a respected Inuk elder, she co-directed Before Tomorrow, an historical drama set in 1840s. They also co-directed two contemporary dramas, Uvanga and Restless River, both set in the Arctic. She is now based in Montreal.
Culture Lab Ballroom MSA Conference Newcastle 2023 conference@memorystudiesassociation.orgBefore Tomorrow (2008)
Circa 1840. Some Inuit tribes still have never met white people, although rumors circulate about where they come from and why they travel. After many years of isolation, two families meet for a happy summertime celebration. Elders tell stories, young people get married, plans are made for the future and food is abundant. In the joyful surroundings, Ningiuq, an old woman of strength and wisdom, cannot stop worrying. She sees the world around her as fragile and feels dread for something she does not fully understand. Is it the illness of her best friend, Kutuguk? Her own sense of mortality? Or something about the curious object her grandson Maniq found on the beach?
In 1990 Marie-Hélène Cousineau went from her native Montreal to Igloolik, Nunavut, where she was integral to the development of Arnait Video Productions, a group of women who have worked together in filmmaking and community artistic productions. With Madeline Ivalu, a respected Inuk elder, she co-directed Before Tomorrow, an historical drama set in 1840s. They also co-directed two contemporary dramas, Uvanga and Restless River, both set in the Arctic. She is now based in Montreal.
