YUKA
YUKA is a coming-of-age adventure that celebrates Inuit culture, resilience, and the bond between generations. The narrative is filled with the rich folklore of the Arctic, presenting a mythical yet realistic portrayal of life in a harsh and mystical land. The film emphasizes the importance of bravery, community, and the passage from childhood to maturity, all set against the vast and beautiful backdrop of the Arctic landscape.
Logline:
When a precocious, skeptical young Inuit boy sneaks into the forbidden Tomorrow Island and sees a disturbing vision of his father's untimely demise, he must put aside his prejudices and trust in mystical forces and legends from the past to save not only his father but the entire village from the terrifying shape-shifting Ijiraq, relentless in its quest to snatch the village children.
Project Status: Original IP-Screenplay available for purchase or option
This coming-of-age adventure centers around Yuka (Yoo-kah), a 9-year-old Inuit boy living on the remote Yesterday Island in the Bering Strait, and the myths and challenges faced by his village. The narrative is rich with Inuit culture and folklore, including dangerous spirits like the shape shifting, children snatching Iiraat (Ee-jeer-aht) and the mystical Tablet of Atka (Aht-kah), which is said to protect the villagers from harm.
The film opens with a flashback of Asmund encountering an Akhlut (Auk-lut), a mythical orca/wolf hybrid, leading to his untimely death. The village mourns their greatest hunter. His son Kallik becomes the new lead hunter, struggling with dwindling resources and a cultural clash about modernizing the village versus preserving traditional ways.
Yuka's 10th birthday is approaching, and he longs to join the hunt to prove himself. However, after an altercation with the troublemaking twins, Jaco and Jobie, the sacred Tablet of Atka is broken, and Yuka is falsely blamed.
Determined to prove his innocence, Yuka, along with his friend Elisapee (Ee-li-sah-pee) and his dog Amak (Ah-mock), ventures to Tomorrow Island to seek guidance from the legendary Wisdom Cave, a place said to reveal the future.
During this perilous journey, they face mythical dangers. At the cave, Yuka witnesses two disturbing visions: one showing his father’s potential death during a hunt, and another confirming that Tukkatok (Too-kah-tok), Elisapee’s grandfather and the village elder, finds the broken tablet.
This realization sends Yuka into despair, as he struggles to reconcile his dream of becoming a hunter while also realizing the risks and sacrifices involved in their traditional lifestyle. Yuka must act quickly to save his father and restore balance to his village, all while learning the true meaning of bravery, patience, and the importance of his cultural heritage.
SYNOPSIS
