Agency:.A Frequent Flyer Films and National Film Board of Canada co-production.

Writer, Michelle Shephard ; director, Michelle Shephard ; producer, Bryn Hughes, Lea Marin, Michelle Shephard ; executive producer, Anita Lee, Jane Jankovic ; editor, Nick Hector ; music composer, Justin Small, Ohad Benchetrit ; cinematographer, Wesley Legge ; visual researcher, Erin Chisholm ; sound recordist, Chandra Bulucon, Dave Draper, Jim Ursulak ; story editor, Nick Hector ; sound editing, null Sound Dogs Toronto ; sound supervisor, Nelson Ferreira ; sound effects editor, Jack Madigan ; recording engineer, Spencer Clerk ; re-recording mixer, Eric Apps.

Featuring, Ismael Abdulle, Sahal Abdulle.

Recorded 2021.

The Perfect Story is a heart-wrenching and provocative look at journalism, belonging, the stories we tell, and who gets to tell them. The film follows the decade-long relationship between Canadian journalist Michelle Shephard and Ismael Abdulle, a young Somali refugee who had his hand and foot cut off by the terrorist group al-Shabab. Their story begins in 2010, when they met during one of Michelle's reporting trips to Mogadishu for the Toronto Star. Her articles about Ismael sparked a movement within the Somali diaspora that helped him escape Mogadishu and find refuge in Harstad, Norway, 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. For nearly a decade, Ismael embraced his new home, learning to speak Norwegian fluently and attempting to adapt to his new country. When Ismael goes back to Mogadishu, an unexpected turn of events forces Michelle to defy one of journalism's golden rules-"report the story, don't become part of it"-and makes her question her role as a storyteller.

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Grand Jury Prize of the DGC Canadian Documentary Competition, 2022

Description based on online resource; title from title screen (National Film Board of Canada, viewed 2023-08-10).