issue 30// vol 46 arts // no. 11

A wild wilderness competition

> ‘Win the Wilderness’ Netflix series review

EG Manilag
Staff Writer

 

in the Wilderness, a Netflix series,

has captured the hearts of thousands
in its portrayal of survival in the vast and
rugged wilderness of Alaska. The series was
initially screened on BBC Two in January
before making its way onto Netflix last
April. The story centres on a competition
for the inheritance of the prized Alaskan
property—1oo miles from civilization. In
the competition, six couples fight against
each other to win the beautiful haven.

 
 

The huge property, widely known as
Ose mountain, was built more than three
decades ago by a strong-willed couple
named Duane and Rena Ose. This couple,
according to Decider, “took advantage of
the US Homestead Act and built a three-
story home 7000 trees deep in the heart
of the unforgiving Alaskan wilderness.”
Now that they are getting older and have
children and grandchildren that are
unwilling to take care of their legacy, they
are in search for an eccentric survivalist
couple who can bravely do what they did.

What is truly amazing about this show
is Duane and Rena’s determination and

perseverance. Living almost all of your life
in an uncharted area is not easy—in fact,

it is exhausting and mostly dangerous.
Everyday in the wilderness they face wild
beasts. It’s important to recognize that the
couple singlehandedly built their huge
cabin... not to mention the other amenities
they built—such as a barn house. Facing
wild beasts while doing a mammoth task
like building a home is definitely not for
the faint of heart. Building the cabin is just
a piece of the pie though. A couple living
together alone in the wilderness takes
some serious teamwork. It is amazing how
Duane and Rena lasted for more than 30

Beyond the prison break

» ‘Antigone’ movie review

Jerrison Oracion
Senior Columnist

 

kek KK

he world is starkly contrasted to what it

was a year ago, considering how racism
is now getting more of a spotlight in the
international discussion. The pandemic
and the accusation that systemic racism
exists in the RCMP not only increased
conversations on racism in Canada but
the injustice George Floyd faced for using
counterfeit money additionally changed
the way we think about the police and
justice. Antigone was shown in the
Vancouver International Film Festival last
year and got five awards in the Canadian
Screen Awards this year—including
Best Motion Picture. The themes of
immigration, policing, and the legal system
are relevant to the focus right now.

Written and directed by Sophie

Deraspe and based on the Greek play of
the same name by Sophocles, Antigone
Hipponomes (Nahéma Ricci) does very
well in secondary school and lives with her

family in Quebec as refugees from Kabylia.
She is friends with Hémon (Antoine
DesRochers) and Hemon’s father, Christian
(Paul Doucet), is a local politician who
gives them information. Antigone’s brother,
Polynice (Rawad El-Zein), is involved in

a gang called The Habibis. When he gets
arrested, her other brother Etéocle (Hakim
Brahimi) gets shot in the process. After
getting advice from Christian that Polynice
is likely to be deported if he is found guilty
of his crimes, Antigone goes undercover in a
prison break to rescue Polynice.

The film shows that credible evidence
is very important and matters ina legal
case—it can have a great effect on the
verdict. Social media is an important aspect
of the film; at one point, various bystanders
were filming Etéocle getting shot with their
cellphones. The video showed that he was
holding his cellphone instead of a gun,
giving another side to the story.

There were also montages where
the public reacts to Antigone’s actions
on social media posts and it shows that
sensationalizing a story can make it go too
far. It was interesting that women were

treated with better conditions in prisons
than men considering the cleanliness of
their cells and the quality of the food that
females get. Depending on the facts in the
case, if you get great legal advice from a
lawyer that understands legal terms, you
will have a successful case.

There were times when it would
cut to another scene midway through a

 

years and are still going strong.

Now, it is up to those six couples to
prove their might. Can they survive? Can
they handle the challenge? A significant
piece of information is that the property
cannot be travelled to by foot or land—you
must arrive by plane. This makes life harder
for those up to the challenge and for those
who have never experienced a remote life.
Overall, the story gives a good sense of
survival expeditions, wildlife, and nature.
This might be an encouraging show for
those who are willing and interested in
experiencing nature in a very authentic way.

Promotional image for 'Win the Wilderness’ via Netflix

conversation. Also, the film ends with

a styled shot reminiscent of Francois
Truffaut. There are a lot of films that talk
about racism and Antigone is one of them.
It is also a film about a girl who challenges
the system to find justice for her brothers.
Watch this film now if you are interested in
such political themes that are monumental
today. Antigone is available now on Crave.

Promotional image for 'Antigone' via WaZabi Films