As Canada’s first female infantry officer, Sandra Perron paved the way for generations of women in our country’s military. But as the new film based on her 2017 memoir reveals, while being the “first” in your field can be rewarding, it can also come with plenty of unexpected challenges, harassment, and hardships. 

When director Mélanie Charbonneau discovered Perron’s memoir, Out Standing in the Field, she read it in one night, and was instantly captivated by Perron’s journey. 

“I was just like, I need to make a movie out of this book. I was so moved by the story. I felt that I became Sandra. I felt connected to her story in different ways,” Charbonneau says. “I want everybody in Canada to know about that story.”

Out Standing begins in 1991, as Perron starts her infantry training in Gagetown, New Brunswick. As expected, there are gruelling training exercises, simulated battles, and intense military regiments. But as the only woman who continues to train, Perron quickly becomes subject to a barrage of sexual harassment, social isolation, and sabotage from her male peers.

The film also jumps ahead to 1995, when Perron resigns suddenly—shocking the military. Soon, a disturbing photo surfaces of Perron tied to a tree in her uniform, seemingly unconscious, prompting misconduct investigations and a media frenzy. But as the film unravels the events that led up to her resignation, not everything is as it seems.  

The morning after Out Standing’s premiere at TIFF, where the film was met with a standing ovation, SheDoesTheCity sat down with Perron, Charbonneau, and star Nina Kiri, the three women at the heart of this gripping story, in theatres now across Canada. For Perron, it was initially daunting to consider that audiences across the country would see her story unfold on the big screen. She wasn’t involved in the filmmaking process outside of a few consultations, but she had immense trust in Charbonneau to bring her story to life. 

“When I went on set and I saw the synergy amongst all of them, I knew I’d made a good choice to just let them go,” Perron says. “It wasn’t very different than being on a battlefield. Everybody covered each other’s backs. It was a safe environment. It was choreographed. Everybody played their position, and it was just beautiful to see.”

Charbonneau shares that the entire cast went through “hardcore training” to ensure everything from putting on gear to firing guns looked as authentic as possible. For Kiri, making sure she was physically prepared for the role was her biggest focus initially. But once she mastered her chin-ups, she wanted to ensure she could fully immerse herself in Perron’s complex emotional journey throughout the film. 

“Once I got to a place where I could understand the core beliefs of Sandra and even identify them within my own life, I felt a lot closer to her,” Kiri says. “Sandra has not an ounce of self-pity. So the whole time I was like, that is so important for me…I can’t feel bad for myself. I can’t be like, poor me, because it’s just so obvious that that’s not the story.” 

While Perron’s story recounts the rampant misogyny she faced in the military, at the core of the film are experiences deeply relatable to women in so many fields—especially occupations that are traditionally male-dominated. 

“A lot of women are going to connect to this film,” Charbonneau says. “They will recognize some harassment that they maybe lived, but maybe didn’t process. This is what Sandra goes through in the film, she’s processing what she went through.”

Out Standing is just as much about Sandra’s story as it is about the many, many women who have come after her, and the work that still needs to be done. Since leaving the army, Perron has continued to advocate for women in the military. In 2020, she founded The Pepper Pod, a retreat center that aims to support women in their transition from the military to civilian life. 

“It is sometimes the first time they have allowed themselves to be vulnerable and tell their story, and they do so because it’s a safe environment,” Perron says. “It’s beautiful to see the bond that is created, and sometimes in 48 hours.”

As she reflects on the film’s premiere at TIFF, Perron is aware that the fight for women in the military is far from over. 

“That’s what I want to remind people, our battle is not done,” she says. “We have to keep fighting for our place in the military. We have to be valued and respected and for the differences that we bring to the team.”

Out Standing is in theatres across Canada on September 26.