1. Media Space

  2. Press Releases

First film from Acadie to win a Gémeaux award for Best Documentary Program or Series: Society. Georges Hannan’s NFB doc Undertaker for Life! launching October 31 on nfb.ca.

PRESS RELEASE
04/10/2023

October 4, 2023 – Halifax – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

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.

About the film

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.

About the filmmaker

Georges Hannan has been working in the film and television industry for over 40 years. As a sound recordist, he has more than one hundred productions to his credit and has been nominated for Genie, Gemini and Gémeaux awards. Basing his approach to filmmaking on a keen ability to listen and observe, Georges Hannan sets out to show us what he calls “the extraordinary ordinary.” By demystifying taboos and revealing the many aspects of daily life that elude us, his films delve deep into unusual worlds and situations to expose universal truths.

– 30 –

French version here | Version française ici.

Media Relations

  • About the NFB

    For more than 80 years, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) has produced, distributed and preserved those stories, which now form a vast audiovisual collection—an important part of our cultural heritage that represents all Canadians.

    To tell these stories, the NFB works with filmmakers of all ages and backgrounds, from across the country. It harnesses their creativity to produce relevant and groundbreaking content for curious, engaged and diverse audiences. The NFB also collaborates with industry experts to foster innovation in every aspect of storytelling, from formats to distribution models.

    Every year, another 50 or so powerful new animated and documentary films are added to the NFB’s extensive collection of more than 14,000 titles, half of which are available to watch for free on nfb.ca.

    Through its mandate, its stature and its productions, the NFB contributes to Canada’s cultural identity and is helping to build the Canada of tomorrow.