This tender animation on the theme of isolation reunites filmmaker Andrea Dorfman with poet Tanya Davis ten years after their first collaboration on the viral film "How To Be Alone." "How To Be At Home" speaks to what so many of us are going through these days with quarantines, lock-downs and stay-at-home orders. "Lean into loneliness—and know you’re not alone in it." And remember: we are connected. 

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  • nancy

    This resonates with my feelings at times even before & after the quarantine. Living alone with desires of having a "significant other" I have done all the above. Still leaning in.

  • Anish

    The words, the rhythm and meaning in those words, the cracking of the voice that read it, the pictures and painstaking animation. Thank you for this gift!

  • Carmen

    Sooooooo beautiful. It touched my heart as so many sad things have happened. A father drowned trying to save his two children at Bodega Bay, Ca. and both children drowned also. A horrific car accident that took the lives of 7 children and 2 adults.in Coalinga, Ca.and on and on. Yes....It can get to one BUT thankfully the film speaks to many of us. I remain hopeful for this year 2021 and also say goodbye to 2020 with no bitterness. Thanks Tanya and Andrea for caring....Keep everyone in your positive thoughts.

  • Sara Deveau

    I love it...the poetry the animation and Tanya's voice and the rap vibe!! Great interview today!!

  • M

    Correction: not "fun", meant "creative". Really special!

  • Gretchen Herrmann

    This is brilliant. Thank you for sharing this beautiful story. Be well! <3

  • Lisa R

    Love her films❤️

  • Lisa M

    Calmly energizing. Peacefully powerful. A joyful reminder to take care of ourselves and trust that we're all alone together during these strange times.

  • lauren

    So so beautiful and so on point.

  • M

    How lovely and fun and moving and compassionate. A hug from the universe, a new friend out there. Thank you for sharing your gifts.

  • Carmel

    Thank you so much,,So needed especially at a time like this..I have been feeling SO ALONE but this has encouraged me..THANK YOU SO MUCH

  • Lindy

    My next door neighbor sent this to me I am moved by her compassionate heart, her artistry and the artistry and clear truth messages embedded in these COVID times.

  • G Pearson

    This is beautiful. Loved the graphics, the voice, the messages. Many thanks for this.

  • Peter

    What inspired you about this video?It expands our loneliness to human compatibility.I need to correct my last contribution to read: .... “... the place we came from before we were born, the place we will return to ...”

  • Peter

    If we can’t go out, go within to find your powerful inner Being through meditation, practice Astral projection, mental telepathy, and discover our true home, the place we came from before we we’re not, the place we will return to. We are immortal. We went to that immortal world last night and returned this morning. The ‘lock-down’ could be seen as a time of grace ... if we use it wisely. Lol

  • Holly

    This is downright delicious. Thank you so much. It feels as if it were written like the Divine Hoddess speaking directly to me. Like a prayer over the masking tape holding my heart together. Thank you.

  • Denise

    Tears in my eyes with the sweetness of this video. Feeling so right.

  • Sheryl

    Not only are the words inspiring but the tone and cadence is comforting. Going to go and sit on my rocking chair and embrace my alone time.

  • Meredith

    This was very uplifting! Short, simple and very much on point. Thank you for sharing. Just what I needed to start my work-from-home day!

  • Eileen Campbell

    So beautiful and uplifting! I want to share it with as many people as possible because there's so much loneliness out there in these Covid times.

  • Jeffrey

    That we are all in this together!

  • Irize

    Ah! beautiful deep truths and very moving! thank you!

  • Bonnie

    So true, so simple, so soothing. Thank you.

  • Megan

    It touched my heart. Was my heart clutching and a little afraid? Yes, with some pain. Was my heart warming? Yes, with compassion and love, even for myself. Was it uncomfortable to watch? Yes, at times. Do I feel better now? Yes, and I can’t really pinpoint why. But THANK YOU for this gift.

  • Janet

    What inspired you about this video?That was beautifully done and brought tears to my eyes.......

  • Char

    I loved it all. It brought sadness and and peace. Trees, my friends, I love them.

  • Karin

    Love the permission to "Lean into loneliness" while engaging with the world in a new way, knowing we're all connected. Thanks!

  • Sylvia

    I love the idea of hugging my mother Earth. We are in this alone together!

  • Ruth

    We are together in the loneliness we share.

  • Joanna

    It connected with my own intimate feelings of loneliness, moments of clarity, and need to connect with others with sensitivity and delightful animation. Thank you 🙏

  • Sharon Hoffman

    both artful and beautiful, it reached right into my soul, as soothing as a long hug by a loved one...❤️

  • rev. Rahchayl

    the intention & the love it took to create & SHARE it !!! cyber HUGS to ALL of you who took part...

  • B. F-m

    What inspired you about this video?wonderfully put together - the graphics perfectly support the prose. Thank you.

  • Kristin Pedemonit

    Beautiful, gentle, genuine messages wrapped in just the right animation = even more powerful message of hope. Thank you, "being with myself" aka alone, I really needed the reminders and the permission to release and cry. It's been extra challenging in the US with a truly terrifying election cycle and potential of even more upheaval. Whew. Breathe in. Breathe out. Together, we get through

  • Noelle

    Everything! Thank you to the creator for the many that need this!

  • Christa

    It feels intensely personal, like a warm, soft hug from a trusted, loving grandparent. The last phrase is so gentle...lean into loneliness...and you know you’re not alone in it. 💖

  • Mary

    It was enchanting- a revelation that Life At Home is just as much the Gift of Life- in a different way that has to be learnt & done as well as it can be

  • Kalai Socha-Leialoha

    The sound of her voice, that she only spoke truths, the music, the words, the visuals (AWEsome), the chair... all my relations 💕

  • Kimberly Wiefling

    Truly a healing 5 minutes . . . poetry, imagery, deeply meaningful and touching in so many ways. Thank you for this authentic connection, heart-to-heart. Sending healing hugs!

  • Jim

    Fresh air,puts me in touch with the stresses of social isolation of so many of our fellow travelers and makes me even more grateful for all the support and love that surrounds my life.

  • Brenda Finne

    Perfectly woven seamlessly together - poetry + visions. Perfect. thank you

  • Suzanne Taylor

    This is one of the most wonderful things I ever have seen. Everything about it, from the concepts to the execution, is stellar. It's comforting and it's inspirational. Just a perfect piece. I'm going to feature it tomorrow in A DELIGHT A DAY that I'm sending out to lift spirits at this time. Here's Monday's, that also has a recap of the previous week, lower left: https://tinyurl.com/yyttd7z7

  • Joellen R

    Beautiful message - thanks for sharing.

  • Mavis Cauffman

    What inspired you about this video? Thank you - very comforting. How do I go about getting permission to share this in a virtual worship service?

  • Donald MacWatt

    It’s inclusiveness, it’s artful brilliance band sweet humanity. The most eloquent expression of being at home I’ve seen. Thank you.

  • Page 1

  • Watch the first collaboration between filmmaker Andrea Dorfman and poet and singer-songwriter Tanya Davis: How To Be Alone.
  • Explore more films from the National Film Board of Canada.
  • How have you been handling the isolation of staying at home? Have you tried hugging a tree?

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