"...quite simply one of the best films ever made about the impulses that make an artist tick"

T.S Warren, Ottawa Press

"...this movie flows beautifully. ...it takes great skill and sensitivity to make a film that captures something of the essence of not only the work but of the human being behind the work. This is a very enjoyable film."

Robert Fontaine, All in a Day (CBC Radio)

Pegi Nicol: Something Dancing About Her is an affectionate portrait of Pegi Nicol, a charismatic and relatively unknown painter, that charts the course of her short and remarkable life in the first half of the 20th century; shedding fresh light on her place in Canadian art history.

These were exciting times for a young artist. While the Group of Seven was forging Canada's first national art movement, the rise of European fascism was politicizing artists everywhere. Pegi dove into painting, leftwing politics and love affairs with equal enthusiasm, becoming a mentor to countless artists - and a friend to such influential figures as F.R. Scott and King Gordon.

Juxtaposing artwork with personal letters and archival material, filmmaker Michael Ostroff skilfully evokes a remarkable creative spirit. Nicol died too soon, but left a joyous legacy - striking paintings of wartime servicewomen and kaleidoscopic cityscapes. Her radiant quality illuminates this fitting and overdue tribute.

In addition to this documentary, a touring exhibition of her work and a new book have been released as of February 2005 in celebration of heer birth 101 years ago. McGill-Queen's University Press has published Dr. Laura Brandon's book-length biography Pegi by Herself: The Life of Pegi Nicol MacLeod, Canadian Artist which is available in bookstores February 2005

Pegi Nicol MacLeod: A Life in Art is on exhibit at the University of Carleton`s Art Gallery from 7 February to 17 April 2005; Curated by Dr. Laura Brandon, A Life in Art features 55 of MacLeod's most important paintings and works on paper, borrowed from 12 private collections in Canada and the United States, and from 15 public galleries across Canada. Numerous works that have always been in private collections are now on public view for the first time in more than fifty years. Following its Ottawa debut, CUAG will tour A Life in Art to The Winnipeg Art Gallery, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery (Oshawa), and The Beaverbrook Art Gallery (Fredericton).

2005, 69 min 04 s