Private Project

Abby

Following an exchange of text messages with her mother about her newly adopted dog Abby, a young woman sees her experience as a transracial adoptee reflected in this adoption.

  • Fanny Lord-Bourcier
    Director
  • 童宙 Tong Zhou Lafrance
    Key Cast
  • Guylaine Dionne
    Key Cast
  • Lily Otter-Koller
    Key Cast
  • An-Laurence 安媛
    Music
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Abby
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Animation, Stop-Motion, Children, Human Rights
  • Runtime:
    1 minute 59 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 20, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    150 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English, French
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.90:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Concordia University
  • Rendez-Vous Québec Cinema
    Montréal
    Canada
    February 24, 2024
    Si Près Si Loin
  • Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    November 11, 2023
    Toronto Premiere
    National Film Board of Canada Best Emerging Canadian Short Film Award /
Emergence Shorts Programme
  • Ottawa International Animation Festival
    Ottawa
    Canada
    September 21, 2023
    World Premiere
    Canadian Student Competition
  • Montreal International Laureate Film Festival
    Montreal
    Canada
    January 19, 2024
  • Bading Film Festival
    Montréal
    Canada
    March 29, 2024
  • Yale Student Film Festival
    New Haven
    United States
Director Biography - Fanny Lord-Bourcier

Fanny Lord-Bourcier is an animator and multidisciplinary artist, based in Tio'tia:ke / Mooniyang / Montréal. Curious and keen, she is continuously willing to adopt and be adopted by new places, disciplines, mediums, and people. Fanny uses her medium of choice, animation — the art of movement — to bring to life simultaneously playful and reflective interpretations of reality.

In 2023, Fanny obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts with great distinction from Concordia University, with a Major in Film Animation and a minor in Music. Her last film, Abby(2023), competed at the Ottawa International Film Festival in the Canadian Student category. Fanny's films have been screened in festivals worldwide, and her animations have been exhibited as video installations in several galleries.

Her work has been presented at Ottawa Art Gallery(2023), Festival Accès Asie(2023), Pierre-François Ouellet Art Contemporain gallery(2023), VAV gallery(2023), McCord Museum(2022), among others.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Abby is an animated short film exploring the themes of transracial and transnational adoption. Abby reflects on important challenges of transracial adoption: integration, trauma, and ambiguous loss. Without drawing conclusion or judgement, it portrays feelings of loneliness and cultural inadequacy.

Abby is closely inspired by my own experience as a transracial adoptee born in China, growing up as a visible minority in a primarily-white town in Canada.