On the Ice
On the Ice tells the story of two best friends on the verge of adulthood: Qalli (Josiah Patkotak) and Aivaaq (Frank Qutuq Irelan). Qalli is considering leaving his small town for college while Aivaaq contemplates starting a family with his newly pregnant girlfriend. These plans get severely complicated when an early morning hunting trip with their friend James turns violent. In an attempt to save an incapacitated Aivaaq, Qalli stabs James with Aivaaq’s knife, leaving James dead, but unintentionally leaving Aivaaq thinking he committed the murder. The boys cover up the crime, setting off a chain of events that engulfs the community and puts their futures and friendship in peril.
The real success of the film comes in the taste it gives us of what life is like for kids growing up in this environment. Hip hop music and culture plays a big role in the film. Aivaaq refers to their crew during a freestyle rap as arctic thugs. This sets up an interesting juxtaposition of urban values in a decisively rural setting. MacLean raises questions about the acceptance of violence and drug use in a small community, while avoiding any urge to hit the audience over the head with a message. This film tells a captivating story in a fascinating new setting and points to very promising things to come from MacLean.
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grt acting. well made film
nice film. the the acting is grt from cast.