At the time of its release, Life Classes was described in the Village Voice as "a strange, hilarious tale of a person whose life is transformed by art." The film tells the story of Mary Cameron (Jacinta Cormier) as she develops as a woman, artist and mother, depicting her journey from an undemanding existence in a small Nova Scotia town to life as an emerging artist in Halifax. Life Classes is made with extreme subtlety, precision and insight - an example of the best of Canadian cinema that has not yet received the recognition it deserves. Few films portray the female body the way MacGillivray does in this film, as a repository of power and spiritual growth. Often cited by critics as a key film in the development of English Canadian cinema, Life Classes is about moving forward but keeping a grip on where you come from. Robin Wood declared it to be one of the ten best films ever made, placing it alongside masterworks by Ozu and Renoir. This modest film, made for little over a half-million dollars, was an official Canadian entry in competition at the 1988 Berlin film festival and has been screened at festivals and retrospectives through the world, yet it remains largely unknown to Canadians.

Darrell Varga, who is the NSCAD Canada Research Chair in Contemporary Film and Media Studies, worked with MacGillivray to restore the film. Varga will be present on Friday, November 17 for questions.