Jashandeep Singh
The production of Netflix’s upcoming sitcom ‘North of North’ has begun in Nunavut. Inuit writer and producer Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Inuk filmmaker Alethea Arnaquq-Baril created the sitcom. Anna Lambe headlines the cast, which also includes Keira Cooper, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Maika Harper, Braeden Clarke, Jay Ryan, Kelly William, and Doreen Simmonds. The plot follows a young Inuk mother (Lambe) who wants to build a new future for herself but it isn’t easy since she lives in a small Arctic town where everyone is aware of each other’s business.
MacDonald is known for her work in the TV series ‘Qanurli.’ Arnaquq-Baril is recognized for helming the documentaries ‘Tunniit: Retracing the Lines of Inuit Tattoos’ and ‘Angry Inuk.’ The two previously collaborated as producers of the 2018 sports film ‘The Grizzlies’ and the 2022 sci-fi film ‘Slash/Back.’ The duo also serve as executive producers of the project along with Miranda de Pencier, Susan Coyne, and Garry Campbell.
The show is produced by MacDonald and Arnaquq-Baril’s Red Marrow Media, along with Northwood Entertainment. CBC and APTN have also commissioned the series apart from Netflix. Speaking about the project, creators MacDonald and Arnaquq-Baril stated that the stories in the show come from their own experiences. “This series is full of stories that come straight from our hearts and our funny bones. We’ve drawn from our experiences as Inuit women living, laughing, crying, and living together while Native,” they said in a statement.
Lambe is known for playing Kayla Prior in the fourth season of HBO’s ‘True Detective,’ Blue Two-Rivers in Prime Video’s ‘Three Pines,’ and Alice Porter in ABC’s ‘Alaska Daily.’ Cooper is a seven-year-old Nunavut-based actress who plays the daughter in the show. Rajskub is known for playing Chloe O’Brian in over a hundred episodes of FOX’s action drama series ’24.’ Harper’s credits include three episodes of CBC Television’s sitcom ‘Kim’s Convenience.’
Clarke portrays Jeremy Wood in the medical series ‘Skymed.’ Ryan, on the other hand, played Ben Hanscom in ‘It Chapter Two’ and Aaron in Paramount+’s ‘No Escape.’ Simmonds previously starred in the fourth season of ‘True Detective,’ in which she also served as a consultant.
Executive producer Miranda de Pencier, who previously worked with MacDonald and Arnaquq-Baril in ‘The Grizzlies’ and the short film ‘Throat Song,’ also released a statement and said, “I’m thrilled to be teaming up with Stacey and Alethea for our third project together and excited for audiences to see this hilarious, unexpected and essential series that Stacey and Alethea have created.”
The principal location of the sitcom is Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut, which is known for its rich Inuit culture. The city has earlier hosted the production of several projects, including ‘The Grizzlies,’ ‘Map of the Human Heart,’ ‘The Necessities of Life,’ ‘Heaven’s Floor,’ and ‘Two Lovers and a Bear.’
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