Lifelike explores the fascinating and increasingly-mainstream world of stuffing and mounting dead animals. The film follows several parallel stories: Dave and Calvin, rookies competing at the Canadian Taxidermy Championships for the first time; Jeff, a world-ranked taxidermist facing unexpected competition at the same championships; Ray, an old veteran who compares the art of taxidermy to that of Michelangelo; and Janie, a devoted animal-lover who decides to have her deceased Jack Russell Terrier freeze-dried. All this, plus a detour through the basement of Benoît Brossard, a major hunting-trophy collector who unconsciously raises some ethical dilemmas as he ponders the future of his collection.

From our clichéd notions about the world of hunting to wacky impressions of pet taxidermy, this documentary will take you to meet engaging characters deep in the heart of this curious activity. Funny, touching, and sometimes just plain absurd, Lifelike will make you think twice about human nature and our relationship with animals.

“Abecassis (...) neatly stitch[es] together all the drama of a Six Feet Under episode with the competitive and unscripted allure of a doc like Spellbound and the hilarious obsessions presented in mockumentaries like Best in Show. ”
Meg Hewings – Hour Montreal

****
“ (Lifelike) manages to have it both ways: pointing up the absurdities, without making a mockery of its subjects. ”
Terminal City Vancouver

***
“Like the characters in a Christopher Guest mockumentary, you might laugh at Abecassis’ taxidermists at first, but they quickly win you over and you start to root for them and their off-beat yet age-old pursuit.”
J. Kelly Nestruck – National Post