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Educational Guides: Nova Scotia Archives Case Study

Learn more about our Margaret Perry Educational Guide for the Nova Scotia Archives Case Study.

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A book cover featuring a black and white photograph of a woman standing outside with a film camera on a tripod.

Margaret Perry is one of Canada’s most important, most prolific, yet least-known woman filmmakers and early film bureaucrats. Perry’s films are complex artefacts that merit careful and critical reflection. During her 24 years at the helm of the Nova Scotia Film Bureau, Perry oversaw the production and direction of over 50 films. Yet, because not much is known about her work as a filmmaker, Perry’s films have been dismissed, often without being seen, on charges of their “anti-modern” depictions of Nova Scotia. And yet, Perry’s films are significant for their creative depictions of a place and time about which limited film records remain and as a cinematic testament to the career of a trail-blazing and visionary filmmaker. The five download guides listed below reintroduce and critically reframe Margaret Perry and the contribution of her films. They include important contextual information about Perry and her films, a lists of films suggested for classroom viewing, film synopses, and discussion questions oriented toward a range of thematic areas. They also suggest supplementary films and resources to complement the gaps present in Perry’s work.