Toronto – The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is featuring two National Film Board of Canada (NFB) documentaries at its 30th edition, which will take place in-person in Toronto and online across Canada from April 27 to May 7.
- World premiere
Holly Andersen’s short doc Hebron Relocation explores what makes a place a home as she learns more about her community’s connection to generations of displaced northern Labrador Inuit.
- Ontario premiere
In Undertaker for Life!, Georges Hannan 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.
- Winner of the La Vague Léonard-Forest Award for best Acadian feature-length film at the 2022 Festival international du cinéma francophone en Acadie.
More about the films:
- Hebron Relocationby Holly Andersen | 15 min | World premiere
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/hebronrelocation
Filmmaker Holly Andersen of Makkovik, Nunatsiavut, always knew that the house she lives in carries within its frame the echoes of the forced displacement of northern Labrador Inuit. Hebron Relocation weaves together intimate stories from Andersen’s community and rare footage, in a heartfelt look at a difficult past that has changed the lives of Labrador Inuit forever.
In her work, Andersen celebrates the intimate details, connections and histories that characterize northern life. Her photography has been displayed in museums and galleries across Canada.
Hebron Relocation is produced through the Labrador Documentary Project, which supports Indigenous storytelling by working with first-time Labrador Inuit filmmakers to create and distribute Inuit stories from Inuit perspectives.
- Undertaker for Life! (Croque-mort. C’est beau la vie!) by Georges Hannan | 52 min | Ontario premiere
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.
Acadian director Georges Hannan has been working in the film and television industry for over 40 years. Basing his approach to filmmaking on a keen ability to listen and observe, Hannan sets out to explore what he calls “the extraordinary ordinary,” delving into unusual worlds and situations to expose universal truths.