''Polaris'' is a 2022 Canadian action film directed by

Kirsten Carthew Kirsten Carthew is a Canadian film director, producer and screenwriter from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Carthew made a number of short films, most notably ''Fish Out of Water'' in 2015, before releasing her debut feature film, '' The Sun at ...

. The film stars Viva Lee as Sumi, a young girl who is trying to reunite with her mother after being kidnapped by marauders, and is lost in a frozen wasteland where her only guide is a

polar bear The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the largest extant bear specie ...

. The film is thematically related to, but not a direct expansion of, Carthew's 2015 short film ''Fish Out of Water''.

Cast

* Viva Lee as Sumi * as Dee * Khamisa Wilsher as Frozen Girl

Release

The film premiered at the

Fantasia International Film Festival Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcore ...

on 14 July 2022. It later screened in the

Borsos Competition The Borsos Competition is the main awards program for Canadian feature films screening at the annual Whistler Film Festival. Introduced for the first time in 2004, the juried competition presents six awards annually to honour films, actors, screenpl ...

at the 2022 Whistler Film Festival.

Reception

Allan Hunter of ''

Screen Daily ''Screen International'' is a British film magazine covering the international film business. It is published by Media Business Insight, a British B2B media company. The magazine is primarily aimed at those involved in the global film business. ...

'' wrote that "Muriel Dutil brings a scene-stealing warmth to the role of Dee, a scarred, hermit-like older woman who gives shelter to Sumi, whilst Viva Lee makes Sumi herself a fierce, intelligent central figure." Nick Allen'' of

RogerEbert.com ''RogerEbert.com'' is an American film review website that archives reviews written by film critic Roger Ebert for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' and also shares other critics' reviews and essays. The website, underwritten by the ''Chicago Sun-Times' ...

'' called it the "kind of film in which the ambition of the project can drive the curiosity of the narrative more than the plot." Kurt Halfyard of ''

ScreenAnarchy Screen Anarchy, previously known as Twitch Film or Twitch, is a Canadian English-language website featuring news and reviews of mainly international, independent and cult films. The website was founded in 2004 by Todd Brown. In addition to films ...

'' wrote that "Carthew often eschews clean point A to point B storytelling in favour of the poetic. The film wants you to accept its mysteries, and the geography, of its harsh world without explanation. It wants to you feel the birth of mythology. It does so with more than a little grit." Deirdre Crimmins of '' Rue Morgue'' wrote that "when taken for its visuals, incredible performances and world-building, POLARIS is a worthy entry in post-apocalyptic cinema’s hallowed halls. Frustratingly, the extra layers of forced fables get in the way of its ascending to greatness." Rachel Ho from '' Exclaim'' similarly praised the film, describing it as bold with an "obvious environmental message". The reviewer concluded that the "marriage between beautiful and violent visuals, captivating communication, and poignant themes is simply wonderful". At Whistler, David Schuurman won the award for Best Cinematography in a Borsos Competition Film, and Lee received an honourable mention for Best Performance in a Borsos Competition film.Pat Mullen
"River, Coyote Top Whistler Film Festival Awards Winners"
''

Point of View Point of view or Points of View may refer to: Concept and technique * Point of view (philosophy), an attitude how one sees or thinks of something * Point of view (literature) or narrative mode, the perspective of the narrative voice; the pronou ...

'', December 4, 2022.

References

External links

* * {{rotten-tomatoes, polaris_2022, Polaris Canadian action films 2022 action films 2022 films Films shot in Yukon 2020s Canadian films 2020s English-language films English-language Canadian films