Halifax – After a successful tour of the festival circuit, Georges Hannan’s award-winning documentary Undertaker for Life! will be available free of charge on nfb.ca as of October 31, just in time for Halloween. In this authentic film that’s full of humanity, the Acadian director tackles a taboo subject and lifts the veil on an under-appreciated world: that of the artisans of bereavement. Their love of life and the living, their dark humour and comforting wisdom are the best remedies against existential despair.
Undertaker for Life! by Georges Hannan (52 min)
Produced by Christine Aubé for the NFB’s Quebec, Canadian Francophonie & Acadian Documentary Studio in Moncton
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/undertaker-for-life
- Undertakers are anything but gloomy; they’re funny, generous and dedicated. We would gladly go on vacation with them, but sadly, they never have any dead time. Despite the somewhat frightening name of their occupation, undertakers are actually charming philosophers and keen observers of life. We only see their sombre side, but away from the funeral rites and on camera, they turn out to be amazingly insightful.
- This film won the Léonard-Forest Prize for Best Acadian Feature-Length Work at the 2022 Festival international du cinéma francophone en Acadie (FICFA), where it had its world premiere, and was selected to screen at the renowned Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. It recently became the first film from Acadie to win a Gémeaux award in the Best Documentary Program or Series: Society category.