BC Premiere
Over ten years in the making, Return to Hairy Hill is an atmospheric, fictional tale of family folklore, inspired by a collection of memories about a story passed down through filmmaker Daniel Gies’ family. As the film unfolds, Ethel’s childhood ends abruptly when her mother flies away, leaving Ethel alone to care for an isolated homestead and her younger siblings. As a merciless winter descends upon them, she must decide whether to resign herself to fate or to try her luck in the wide world… A haunting film with a captivating, unique animation style that evocatively pays tribute to family, loss, and memory; an outstanding film that stays, lingers, long after it’s over.
Grand Prix Guy-L.-Coté for le Meilleur film d’animation canadien (2023)
Canada
2023
No Dialogue
Indigenous & Community Access
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Credits
Executive Producer
Archita Ghosh
Producer
Emily Paige
Screenwriter
Daniel Gies, Emily Paige
Cinematography
Sébastien Gros
Editor
Daniel Gies
Director
Daniel Gies
Daniel Gies learned everything he knows about computer animation and filmmaking through online tutorials and with the support of generous mentors along the way. A self-taught artist and animator, born and raised at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Western, Canada, Daniel has spent the last 17 years living and working in the vibrant city of Montreal, Quebec. Although he has collaborated with many directors and artists over his career, Return to Hairy Hill marks Daniel Gies’ first independent short film.
Filmography: Giant Bear (2018); Let There Be Light (2017); Brown Bear: What Are You Toxin About (2017)
VIFF Short Forum
See more shorts in this series
Short Forum 1: The Scarier One
The return of scary: fear in all its chilling, suspenseful, and unsettling shades.
Short Forum 2: Anthropomaxx
Dogs, frogs, hogs, and more!
Short Forum 3: Workers of the World
The grind of the working class in a system that betrays its promises.
Short Forum 4: Immanence: A Life
You don’t have to look far; life is beautiful!
Short Forum 5: Somewhere Else
If space and time are pure perception, let’s build them differently.
Short Forum 6: Archive Lives!
Before anything becomes archival, it’s lived.
Short Forum 7: War at Home
Truly, no one is safe until everyone is safe.
Short Forum 8: Queer Magic
Do you believe in magic?
Short Forum 9: Big Time Sensuality
Explorations of desire and intimacy serve both pain and pleasure.
Short Forum 10: Are the Kids Alright?
The future kinda depends on it.