by Elisabeth Joy LaMotte, LICSW
Navigating clashing perspectives becomes second nature for social workers trained in couples therapy. We attempt to help couples at an impasse cultivate empathy for each other and to become more curious about each other’s perspectives. There are parallels between couples questioning their union and our current political environment. With politics so polarized and divided, trained social workers are poised to encourage healing and repair.
This challenge was on my mind when a therapy client mentioned that she thinks of the film Angry Inuk whenever she hears about a new policy initiative or political perspective. She described how this film helps her tolerate viewpoints that may clash with her own. Thinking of its real life characters’ challenges has caused her to realize that any cause or initiative – no matter how appealing or politically correct – may also devastate the community and livelihood of others. She notices feeling more curious about alternative viewpoints.
One of the best kept secrets of therapy is that social workers can learn as much from the client as the client learns from the social worker. I felt moved by her praise for this lesser known film and decided to check it out. And I feel grateful for the suggestion and the chance to learn about the Inuit seal hunting community. I also appreciate the chance to explore the surprising backstory to the seemingly obvious perspective that seal hunting is wrong.
Writer and director Alethea Arnaquq-Baril dedicates this 2016 documentary to her grandparents. The footage opens with the protagonist explaining that some of her most poignant memories of childhood took place with her family, hunting seals. Against the crisp snow and expansive oceanic backdrop, a jarring scene of the capture and kill of a seal invites viewers into an exotic and honest group of Inuit seal hunters who share their craft and their stories. Inuit seal hunters use each and every part of the seal, and the seals they hunt are not endangered. Throughout the film, the Inuit try repeatedly to reach senior leaders in the powerful and well-funded anti-seal hunting movement. They are continually ignored. They attend multilateral negotiations dressed in seal skin. They travel hundreds of miles to counter-protest an anti-seal hunting protest, but when the organizers of the protest learn that the Inuit seal hunters are planning a small-scale counter-protest, the larger protest is cancelled.
In one of many memorable scenes, the Inuit counter-protestors are traveling by bus, preparing to encounter harsh treatment and profane language at the anti-seal-hunting demonstration. They agree that no matter what happens, they will conduct themselves in a manner that would make their grandparents proud.
Social workers practicing couples therapy understand that there are two sides to every story. This magnificent and memorable documentary demonstrates the same and is worthwhile viewing for anyone who wants to become more open to a myriad of perspectives. As we close out 2020 and look forward, watching Angry Inuk with your family could help set the stage for growth and healing in the new year.
Elisabeth Joy LaMotte, LICSW, is a social worker and founder of DC Counseling and Psychotherapy Center. Her book, Overcoming Your Parents' Divorce, was a finalist in the 2008 National Best Book Awards in the relationship category.