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The NFB at Hot Docs 2023. World premiere of Holly Andersen’s Hebron Relocation and Ontario debut of Georges Hannan’s Undertaker for Life!

PRESS RELEASE
28/03/2023

March 28, 2023 – Toronto – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

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:

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.

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.

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French version here | Version en français ici.

Media Relations

  • About the NFB

    Founded in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is a one-of-a-kind producer, co-producer and distributor of distinctive, engaging, relevant and innovative documentary and animated films. As a talent incubator, it is one of the world’s leading creative centres. The NFB has enabled Canadians to tell and hear each other’s stories for over eight decades, and its films are a reliable and accessible educational resource. The NFB is also recognized around the world for its expertise in preservation and conservation, and for its rich and vibrant collection of works, which form a pillar of Canada’s cultural heritage. To date, the NFB has produced more than 14,000 works, 6,500 of which can be streamed free of charge at nfb.ca. The NFB and its productions and co-productions have earned over 7,000 awards, including 11 Oscars and an Honorary Academy Award for overall excellence in cinema.