Original subtitles

♪ ♪

[narrator] Way up in the far North,

where the space is huge and the trees are small.

The land is hard, and the weather extreme,

but this is home...

to many things.

Hello, Lemming.

♪ [singing in foreign language] ♪

[howls]

♪ [singing in foreign language] ♪

[barking]

♪ ♪

♪ [singing in foreign language] ♪

[honking]

♪ ♪

♪ Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa ♪

[bird screeches]

♪ Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa ♪

♪ ♪

♪ [singing in foreign language] ♪

[narrator] Here, communities are connected

by land,

river and sea.

But once a year,

something magical draws them together...

from the sky.

On this special day, a jolly man

visits the little town of Kuujjuaq...

to bring holiday joy to the North.

This elf's name is not Santa,

it's Johnny May

and his faithful plane,

Pengo Pallee!

[narrator] The annual Kuujjuaq Candy Drop.

A local tradition,

bringing warmth to a place that is often cold...

♪ ♪

Lemming.

You know those are for children.

♪ ♪

[laughs]

Thank you, Lemming.

Once a year, the citizens of Kuujjuaq

are connected by the Candy Drop.

But of course,

connections are changing.

[newswoman] If you're in Nunivak this Saturday,

pop over to Kuujjuaq for their annual candy drop!

Unacceptable!

♪ ♪

Not on my watch.

[phone rings]

[Serge] Allo, bonjour?

My name is Katherine Propp

from the Ministry of Transport, Ottawa.

I'd like to speak

to Mr. Johnathan May.

It's down south callin'.

Johnny here...

Mr. May, it has come to my attention that you have been

violating section 9062 of the transport act.

Uhh... How's that?

Did you or did you not

throw food at people from an airplane?

Food? You mean the candy drop?

You confess?

Well... Yeah...

Technically it's not really food.

Mostly candies, but also some hats,

mittens, trousers, boots...

Boots?!

[all screaming]

If only a dedicated employee

from the Ministry of Transport

was here to protect us!

Ahh! My eye!

This is more dangerous than I thought!

[Johnny] Dangerous? No.

I've been doing it 45 years...

50. 50 years.

Nothing bad's happened.

By the order vested in me

on behalf of the Ministry of Transport,

under section 7117

of the Government Aviation Regulations,

I hereby demand

that you cease and desist!

Huh?

[Katherine] No more dumping candy!

[Johnny] Um...

Excuse me Ma'am,

but we're doing the drop this weekend.

People are counting on it.

No, people are counting on their government

to keep them safe.

If you drop even one candy from the sky...

I will personally see to it

that you never fly again.

I see. Okay...

I suppose if this is the last one,

I'll have to make it count.

Count? Mr. May...

I'll come up there personally

and stop you if I have to!

[Johnny] Well, then I'll see you in Kuujjuaq.

Bye now.

Oh no you didn't...

Agh! Leonard!

How long does it take to drive to Kuujjuaq?

Uhh... Drive?

There's no roads to Kuujjuaq.

You fly. Duh.

[chuckles]

Fly? I hate flying.

[Katherine screaming]

[sighs]

Between the weather and that Government lady,

not looking good this year...

The weather comes and goes.

And we'll thaw Ottawa out

with a bit of old Arctic Charm.

[both spit]

Speaking of Ottawa.

Let me off! Let me off!

What? Whoa.

[panting]

♪ ♪

The one from the video?

[screaming]

Run! Look out!

[laughs]

Mr. May!

You, step away from that airplane

right now!

She looks mean...

Whoa, whoa, ahh! Oof.

Oh my. I'm sorry!

I work for the government...

We'll send more.

She's just trying to do her job.

She's higher on the food chain, but I doubt it's personal.

Yeah...

She looks pretty hungry to me, eh Pengo?

[screams] Rat!

[sighs] Ooof...

[narrator] Up here where life can be hard,

you're either finding food...

Or you are food.

[birds screech]

For better or worse...

every living thing is somehow connected.

[birds screeching]

No one said life in the North is easy, Lemming.

[Johnny] Welcome to Kuujjuaq.

You bring a hat?

Ugh. Take me to your plane.

♪ ♪

[scoffs]

This cargo is proof of your intent

to drop dangerous ordinance.

I demand immediate seizure of this vessel

to the Ministry of Transp- Ahh!

[screams]

No, no! No more flying!

No more flying!

Uh... Sorry.

Sometimes Pengo has a mind of her own.

I've seen enough.

Take me to your office.

Okay! Easy... I'll get my truck.

[engine struggling]

[engine struggling]

[Katherine shudders]

Is this car up to safety standards?

It's a truck. And no.

Would you like to check into the hotel first?

No thank you.

I'll be on the next flight out

as soon as I rectify this... situation.

If your feet are cold, you can put them in my belly.

[gasps]

Oh, I'm not being weird...

it's just an old Arctic trick.

Learned it from my Grandmother.

Just drive.

♪ ♪

[honks] Bonjour Johnny.

♪ ♪

[all greeting Johnny]

♪ ♪

[grunts and gasps]

Hey, Mr. May.

Shouldn't they have helmets?

Shouldn't you have a hat?

Huh?

[both laughing]

[gasp] Whoa!

This place is...

Pretty great eh?

[growls]

♪ ♪

[engine backfires]

Why are we back at the airport?

Oh... This is my winter office.

Thought you might want to see the town.

Come on, it's warm inside.

[growls]

Well, this is it.

Didn't you bring a hat?

Mr. May,

I could fine you 500 dollars

for every candy bombing you've ever committed...

I got the mayor on the phone,

says he'll pay all past fines.

Well, future infractions will be tripled.

[Serge] Says he'll pay those too.

We are not the bad guys here.

My job is to make sure

nothing is dropped

upon these poor innocent people ever again!

I'm related to half of them here

and I wouldn't call 'em innocent...

I have no idea what kind of profit you racked up

on this whole "Candy Toss" fiasco...

"Candy Drop" and no profit, eh.

Costs us money for the candy.

And the fuel.

We get donations from the Co-Op.

I don't like them mismatched mittens...

Mayor had us drop a handful of 20s last year.

All blew out over the tundra.

Make a muskox rich.

Shoulda went with them twoonies.

Enough!

I don't care about mittens,

or muskox or twoonies!

Profit or not, it's dangerous,

and it's over!

Tell me this, Mr. May...

Why would you even do the candy drop?

Johnny.

We've got a little girl missing on one of the trails.

Parents were snowmobiling into town

and she fell off the back of the sled they were towing.

How long ago?

An hour out.

We were gonna track up but this storm is moving in fast...

Pengo'll take care of me.

No!

First of all, you're grounded.

Second, flying in an Arctic high-pressure system

is too dangerous!

Listen, you won.

No more Candy Drop...

But there's a little girl out there...

We have to try to-- It's not safe.

Nothing is safe up here,

and there is no other way Katherine.

I know these skies.

I can find her

and bring her home safe.

Safe?

Safe.

Mr. May! Be careful.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

This is so dangerous.

Welcome to Kuujjuaq.

Is this?

Johnny's Pop.

He started the Candy Drop

on a roof in the old days.

But Johnny's the one who took it to the skies...

Until today.

Hmm.

♪ ♪

[Serge] Okay Johnny...

You got about twenty minutes

until that storm closes off all your visibility.

♪ ♪

[howling winds]

There!

♪ ♪

[shivering]

♪ ♪

That snow bank saved her life!

Assuming she's still alive.

♪ ♪

[whimpers]

Are you okay?

♪ ♪

[Johnny] She's alive

and safe on the plane.

[narrator] In the North, there's no such thing as "safe"

until you're really "safe".

Just ask Lemming.

[Serge] Johnny, it's real bad out there

and getting worse.

Get home now!

[narrator] Lemming knew that life was hard in the North,

but when the snows raged and the winds clawed,

it was time to connect.

She's frozen.

If she thaws out here... It won't be good.

Serge, I can't see a thing...

[Serge] You're only 15 miles out.

Keep on your heading and maintain altitude.

That storm is moving east to west.

Those winds are funneling.

They need to roll into it with an altitude

that will catch the updraft,

keep them off the trees.

Look, I know danger, and I know how to avoid it.

Move over!

[narrator] Times like this in the North,

any connection can be a good connection.

Even if they're links in the food chain.

[bird screeches]

[squeaks]

[Katherine] Keep west by southwest

at 30 knots.

Where's Serge?

Johnny, I'm from the government,

and I need you to trust me.

Meteorology is a hobby. I find it meditative.

Longitude...

[squeaks]

[honks]

[squeaks]

[squeaks louder]

[moos]

[Katherine] Maintain altitude and course.

We're going to ride the shelf,

slip between two systems and bring you home.

Easy-peezy lemon squeezy.

We could hurt a lotta folks

with a bad landing in town.

I think we should bail on the tundra.

Huh?

[squeaks]

That ain't normal...

What do I know?

I'm just the elf.

[geese honking]

[Serge] That's not like any weather

I've ever seen.

It looks like... Geese?

[muskox mooing]

[barking]

[howls]

Is that normal?

Not usually...

[plane engine]

Mr. May, we have a visual!

[geese honking]

[squeaks]

[narrator] When the land is vast

and the weather harsh,

even small connections

can grow into a miracle.

[Serge] Ha ha! Johnny, Bruce!

Good flying, Johnny. You're safe.

Qujanaq.

That means thank you.

This is a Pang hat.

It'll keep your head in a good spot.

Qujanaq.

[laughs]

Do you know what Pengo Pallee means?

[inaudible whisper]

I made it back, Louisa.

I knew you would.

That's a good hat, eh.

I guess I'm grounded. Deal is a deal...

[young girl] Johnny...

Are you still going to drop the candy?

Not this year I'm afraid.

I made a promise to a new friend...

That I'd be safe and follow the rules.

But, for you and your sister,

vrooom...

♪ ♪

Nothing is safe up here...

Nothing is safe up here!

Mr. May, make me an elf!

[laughs]

Elf?

[laughs] Oof!

Oh! Katherine!

What are you doing?

I get it now!

You're the man in red!

And Pengo Pallee is like

your weird red nosed flying reindeer.

I want to help!

Please, let me be an elf!

But aren't you afraid of flying?

Yes!

And germs, and blinding arctic storms,

and donut stealing rats, but an elf isn't afraid!

[laughs]

Whoa, whoa! [screams]

I don't want to be afraid anymore.

Nothing is safe up here,

so we should look out for each other.

Could always use another elf.

People are counting on it.

Who needs sleep?

Okay! Let's do it.

I trust you Mr. May...

Johnny.

Let's make people happy.

[engine sputters]

Ahh!

Ooh wow... That's scary.

But good scary!

[laughs]

[Katherine screams]

[screaming]

[cheers]

[all cheer]

[all cheer]

[narrator] It took a little more

than northern charm,

but Katherine finally thawed out

just in time

to spread some holiday cheer.

[all cheer]

♪ ♪

Huh?

♪ ♪

Oof! Merci Monsieur!

[both laugh]

[narrator] So, I bet you're still wondering

what Pengo Pallee means.

Well in our language, it means

"I miss you dearly".

That plane is named for the people

Johnny leaves behind when he's in the sky.

But somehow, he always manages

to get home safe.

[h

[door creaks open]

[engine sputters]