THOSE THAT BREATHE
With unprecedented access to the remote Inuit community of Arviat, THOSE THAT BREATHE explores the complex relationship between present-day social and environmental issues in the Arctic where roaming polar bears, displaced by ice melts, have become a striking symbol for the violent imposition of modernity on traditional Inuit life. Many of the problems Inuit face—poverty, addiction, suicide—are consequences of 300 years of oppressive colonial rule. Forced into settlements, Inuit were systematically stripped of their language, traditions, and rituals. They have fought hard to reclaim their way of life only to now face new threats from climate change. Inuit identity is deeply tied to the land; it is their moral compass and spiritual guide, where they seek sustenance and healing. Rising sea temperatures, melting Arctic ice, and the disruption of food chains is nothing short of devastating. Filmed over half a decade and told through the shifting personal narratives of an intergenerational cast, THOSE THAT BREATHE explores the profound resilience of a thousand-year-old culture.
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Directed by internationally-acclaimed, Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker Ed Ou. Edited by Kevin Klauber, editor of 18 feature documentaries including the Academy Award-winning documentaries ICARUS and TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM.