'' Searchers '' ( ) is a 2016 Inuktitut-language Canadian drama film directed by Zacharias Kunuk and Natar Ungalaaq , which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival . Based in part on the 1956 John Ford film '' The Searchers '' , the film is set in Northern Canada in 1913 . It centres on Kuanana ( Benjamin Kunuk ) , a man who returns from hunting to discover that much of his family has been killed and his wife and daughter have been kidnapped . The film was shot in Nunavut with an entirely Inuit cast , and with contributions from a local crew . The production was troubled by extreme cold . It has received positive reviews in Canada , and was nominated for two Canadian Screen Awards , including Best Motion Picture
Canadian Screen Awards
5th Canadian Screen Awards
Searchers (film)