A Quebec Inuit drama is a semi-finalist in the Oscar category for best foreign language film.

The Necessities of Life, about an Inuit man with tuberculosis who experiences culture shock when he's moved to a Quebec City hospital in 1952, is one of nine semi-finalists. The short list includes Israel's Waltz With Bashir, which won the Golden Globes best foreign language film award, and France's The Class (which  closed the 2008  Vancouver International Film Festival and  is set to  start its theatrical run  in Vancouver at the end of January).

The Necessities of Life was nominated for best Canadian film at the Vancouver Film Critics Circle awards but lost to C'est pas moi, je le jure!. However, the film's lead actor, Natar Ungalaaq won the VFCC best actor in a Canadian film award.