In the company of strangers

"Mary Meigs is one of the eight women who portray themselves in the film The Company of Strangers, a "semi-documentary" National film Board production, released in 1990 to overwhelming critical and popular acclaim. Meigs spent two years writing this extraordinary narrative, which begins as her story of being in the film and unfolds into a gentle, intricate meditation on the experience of time, old age, magic and binding. Time becomes still and circular as the women's self-images and film images, their past and present, are bound inextricably with the filmmaker's vision. Interwoven with Meigs' reflections on time, aging, and the phenomenon of film, are her portraits of each cast member on and off camera. The eight women are strangers who first become company, then friends."--back cover. About the film : "In this feature film, 8 elderly women find themselves stranded when their bus breaks down in the wilderness. With only their wits, memories and some roasted frogs' legs to sustain them, this remarkable group of strangers share their life stories and turn a potential crisis into a magical time of humour, spirit and camaraderie. Featuring non-professional actors and unscripted dialogue, this film dissolves the barrier between fiction and reality, weaving a heart-warming tale of friendship and courage."--NFB (National Film Board) desc. Written by Gloria Demers with Cynthia Scott, David Wilson and Sally Bockner. With Alice Diabo, Constance Garneau, Winifred Holden, Cissy Meddings, Mary Meigs, Catherine Roche, Michelle Sweeney, Beth Webber.