Population of interest: immigrant and refugee men of all status

Location: Montréal

The need: Montréal Migration grief is real, yet often unspoken—especially among men due to the social expectations tied to masculinity. The initiative was created in response to a clear gap: men often lack safe spaces to gather, express vulnerability, and access support during difficult transitions.

About the Intervention/film:

Inspired by the success of Femmes-relais, which centres the intersectional needs of immigrant women, Carrefour de ressources en interculturel (CRIC) recognized that many men were also facing the emotional impacts of migration grief, displacement, the pressures of family responsibility, and challenges in belonging. Listening to these needs, the organization mobilized its team and partners to design a project tailored specifically to immigrant men.

The Hommes-relais project aims to strengthen the agency of immigrant and refugee men by supporting them in three areas:

• training that helps them navigate local institutions and norms so they better understand the host society
• community engagement, which allows participants to share their knowledge and accompany others seeking support from the CRIC—acting as liaisons between their communities and the host society
• socio-professional guidance to help them reconnect with their skills and pursue employment aligned with their previous experience.

The film (see below) aims to normalize these struggles, break isolation, and showcase the power of care and empathy in the process of one’s integration.

We hope it inspires audiences—immigrant and non-immigrant people alike—to genuinely walk towards each other. To new arrivals: you are not alone. To the host society: “we must look at the human face,” as Juan Manuel wisely invites us to, and recognize that we are not that different.

This story is timely, as rising nationalism and racism create new barriers and dangers for immigrants and refugees across the world.

Key takeaways for health, settlement and social services providers: 

1. Acknowledge migration grief—as an adaptative process, not a pathology, that is always in the background—when working with newcomers. Providers should normalize this process, while staying attentive to signs that may indicate more serious mental health concerns.
2. Social expectations tied to masculinity can prevent men from seeking help or sharing emotional distress. Facilitated group spaces (ideally facilitated by someone with lived-experience) reduce isolation and help build trust and belonging. Frame support as building strengths, not fixing deficits. 
3. The film shows that new cultural/institutional contexts are often opaque to newcomers (school, health, etc.). This points to the need for capacity-building/institutional literacy (not just “here is a form”) and to do so in culturally mindful ways. 
4. Design programs so that men can move from being supported to being supporters: agency is restored when men can contribute, guide, or accompany other (offer pathways to volunteerism, mentorship, co-facilitation).
5. Trust is built through proximity and cultural humility: conduct outreach in community settings where people already gather, and adapt language, schedules, and formats to their realities (work shifts, lack of transportation, childcare responsibilities, etc.).

About the organization

The CRIC (Carrefour de ressources en interculturel) is a community-based organization in Montréal’s Centre-Sud neighbourhood that has supported newcomers in their integration in Quebec society for over 25 years—offering a wide range of services regardless of immigration status. Beyond direct services, it provides training, workshops, and intercultural activities to help institutions, community organizations, and residents strengthen inclusive cross-cultural relations.

Homme-Relais was directed by Vladimir Chindea, who was a participant of the Hommes-Relais project. The documentary was produced as part of a collection of short documentaries in the Hot Docs Citizen Minutes Series, which is now on its third season. These short docs, commissioned by Hot Docs, showcase ordinary Canadians making extraordinary impacts in their communities. The mission of the Citizen Minutes project is to inspire engagement in Canadian democracy by celebrating stories of civic participation across the country. All the short documentaries are available for free viewing online, and community groups can host a screening of Hommes Relais, or the other Citizen Minute films, at no charge.