The Snow Walker (2003)

The Snow Walker (2003) is a Canadian survival drama film that was written and directed by Charles Martin Smith. The story follows Charlie Halliday, a Canadian bush pilot who served in the Second World War and is now based in Yellowknife. While on a routine job in the Queen Maud Gulf during the summer of 1953, Charlie comes across a group of Inuit who are in need of his assistance. They have a sick young woman named Kanaalaq with them and they ask Charlie to fly her to a hospital as they suspect she has tuberculosis. Initially hesitant, Charlie eventually agrees to help when they offer him two valuable walrus tusks. However, during their flight, his Noorduyn Norseman aircraft experiences engine trouble and they end up crash landing near the shore of a glacial lake.

Despite Charlie and Kanaalaq remaining unharmed, the aircraft is now disabled. Stranded in the vast tundra of the Northwest Territories, they are faced with a broken radio and limited supplies. Adding to their predicament, they have deviated far from their intended flight path, making it difficult for any rescue efforts to locate them. The weight of impending danger weighs heavily on Charlie, who begins to view his Inuit companion as an unwanted burden. Approximately 100 miles away from the nearest town, he comes to a grim realization that their chances of survival are slim if they wait by the aircraft together. With this in mind, he decides to leave Kanaalaq behind and venture out alone in search of help.