Pegi Nicol: Something Dancing About Her (2004)

Something Dancing About Her is an affectionate portrait of Pegi Nicol MacLeod, a charismatic yet relatively unknown painter. Shedding fresh light on her place in Canadian art history, director Michael Ostroff chronicles the life of this remarkable creative spirit who threw herself into painting, left-wing politics and love affairs with equal enthusiasm. Juxtaposing personal letters, first-hand accounts, archival photos and film footage, what emerges is the free-spirited personality of an artist struggling to make a career in the tumultuous 1930s and 1940s. Nicol rebelled against the prevailing narrow view of women's roles. She enjoyed a colourful life and mingled with such influential figures as painter Marian Scott, poet F.R. Scott and artist Charles Comfort. Actors Dana Green, Fiona Reid, Sheila McCarthy and William Hutt bring emotional interpretations to the reading of excerpts from first-hand accounts and correspondence, presenting an intimate, entertaining and engaging impression of Nicol's hopes and frustrations. The film pays tribute to the joyous legacy of a woman who, as part of the Canadian art revolution, constantly questioned the purpose and role of art in society.