Searchers 2016

Elders exile four men from the band

In the Inuit community, the elders declare Kupak, Aulla, Tulimaaq, and Timauti guilty of murder, lechery, and hoarding food. They are banished from the group and forced to wander the Arctic landscape. The decision sets the stage for the ensuing conflict as the exiles become roaming fugitives.

Kuanana plans with his wife Ailla in a neighboring camp

Kuanana and Ailla live with their extended family in a nearby community. The elder instructs Kuanana to take their young Siku as his hunting partner, even though Angutii wishes to join. The arrangement foreshadows the coming expedition into the Arctic hunt.

Kupak and Aulla abduct Ailla and their daughter

While Kuanana and Siku are away, Kupak and Aulla ambush the family’s igloo and forcibly take Ailla and her daughter. The abduction severs the family from safety and instigates a brutal pursuit across the ice. The captors’ longing for women motivates the crime, escalating the violence.

Return to a ruined igloo and murder

Kuanana and Siku return to find the igloo in ruins and Angutii murdered. The elder is mortally wounded but names Kallulik, the loon, as a guide. Before dying, the elder entrusts Kuanana with a task that sets the quest in motion.

Kuanana summons Kallulik and follows the loon’s cry

Kuanana calls for the help of Kallulik, and the loon’s cry reveals the direction where his wife and daughter have been taken. The moment marks a spiritual cue that pulls the family toward vengeance and reunion. Siku remains by Kuanana’s side as the search begins.

Kallulik and Siku set out across the Arctic

Mounted on sled dogs, Kallulik guides the search with the help of a telescope as they push into the frostbitten landscape. The pair tracks the exiled captors who flee deeper into the ice. The journey underscores the harsh, unforgiving nature of their world.

Ailla and daughter resist capture and attempt escape

Forced captivity continues for Ailla and her daughter, as Kupak and Aulla keep them restrained and try to prevent any chance of escape. They fight to survive and determine a plan to reclaim their freedom. The captors' control drives the tension forward toward a climactic confrontation.

Kupak senses a bad omen and orders pursuit

Kupak interprets a low tone in his ear as a bad omen, signaling that they are being followed. He dispatches Tulimaaq to check for followers and maintain the security of their kidnapping. The ominous omen heightens the sense of an imminent confrontation.

Kuanana spots the captors with a telescope

From the trail, Kuanana uses a telescope to spot Kupak and Aulla and confirms that he is in pursuit. Tulimaaq also witnesses Kuanana chasing them, making a direct clash seem inevitable. The pursuit tightens the chase across the ice.

Kuanana and Siku split up to pursue separately

Realizing a direct attack could fail, Kuanana and Siku decide to split so that one can cover more ground. Kuanana advises Siku that he can take a separate path, hoping to close in on the captors from two directions. The tactical move increases their chances of rescuing the family.

Kuanana frees his daughter and learns Ailla’s location

Kuanana discovers his daughter tied up and unties her, sending her to hide behind a ridge. She reveals where Ailla is, providing crucial information about the mother’s location. This discovery pivots the rescue toward a head-on rescue operation.

Siku is attacked; Aulla is killed by Kuanana

Aulla attacks Siku from behind, but Kuanana arrives and shoots Aulla, saving Siku from harm. This decisive act removes one of the main threats. The dynamic shifts toward freeing Ailla and reuniting the family.

Kuanana resolves to find Ailla

With Siku safe, Kuanana continues to search for Ailla, leaving Siku to guard his sister. The chase resumes as they close in on the missing wife amid the frozen terrain. The tension remains high as danger still looms.

Confrontation ends with Kupak’s death and reunion

Out of bullets, Kupak and Kuanana duel hand-to-hand until Ailla emerges and fatally stabs Kupak. The moment marks both closure of the pursuit and the immediate reunion of the family. The killers are brought to account in a stark, icy showdown.