Film tells story of Inuk man who died in RCMP custody

A documentary that tells the story of an Igloolik, Nunavut man who died in RCMP custody premieres this week.

The film, Sol, tells the story of Solomon Uyarasuk, an amateur acrobat, actor, musician and poetwho wasarrested for assault in September 2012.

Uyarasukwas brought to the police station in Igloolik and put in a cell.Shortly after that, he was found unresponsive. Police officers, a guard and a nurse tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate him.

We have to look and see how the situation can be changed.- Marie-HlneCousineau onUyarasuk's death

"There are many people like him, you know, and their stories are also verydevastating," saidMarie-HlneCousineau, co-director ofSol.

Nunavut's Chief Coroner has set a date for a mandatory inquest into Uyarasuk's death, in order to examine the circumstances around hisdeath and make recommendations to prevent similar deaths in the future.

Cousineausays the filmdepicts a community still waiting for answersandhighlights a crisis that has affected many families in Nunavut.

She says though Uyarasuk'shasn't been ruled a suicide, her film gives anopportunity to shed light on the issue of suicide in Canada's indigenous communities.

"Because if you say well, it's just another suicide and forget about it, that has to stop. We have to look and see how the situation can be changed.

"Often, you know, the rest of Canada doesn't know about it so that's a very goodoccasionfor people in Toronto, in Montrealhopefullyin other placesto see it."

Sol debuts Friday at the imagineNATIVE film and media arts festival in Toronto.

It will also screen next month at the Montreal International Documentary Festival. There are also plans to show it in Nunavut.