STORIES WE TELL

Canada, 2012, 108 minutes, Colour.
Michael Polley, Sarah Polley, John Buchan, Harry
Directed by Sarah Polley.

There is an ambiguous tone in the title of this film. We tell stories becaurse we enjoy storytelling. However, some of the stories we tell are not always true or accurate. This underlies this film about the actress-director, Sarah Polley.

Sarah Polley has a very fine reputation. She is a Canadian, born in 1979, in films and on television during her childhood. She made the transition successfully to adult actress and to film director: Away From Her and Take This Waltz. She is also the director of this ambitious documentary.

Sarah Polley was close to her father, Michael, especially after the death of her mother, Diane, a very lively, very extroverted actress. In home movie material and re-creations of events, Diane Polley makes quite some impact on the screen. After her death, the young Sarah spent her years at home with her father. She has some brothers and sisters, some from her mother’s previous marriage.

Randomly during meals, some of the brothers and sisters would comment on how she did not resemble her father. This suggested the question of whether Michael actually was her father. This leads to some searching, asking an actor from Toronto if, in fact, he was her father. Another candidate emerged, a producer, also from Toronto. In an important scene, Sarah discovers who her father really was. And experiences the effect that it had on Michael, who had cared for her as her father.

Sarah Polley herself does not intrude into the film even though it is about her. She assembles a group of relatives and friends and they agree, some of them rather nervously, to be interviewed. This includes the actor and the producer from Toronto. But it also includes her father who has written a text about his life and experiences and he records them as she photographs him doing so, sometimes asking him to re-read a line. His text, his investment in reading the text, and the revelation of what it means to him is a very moving part of the film.

There are many funny moments as her brothers and sisters reminisce. There are very many serious moments, of course, as they remember Diane, her personality, the impact she made, her death from cancer, the theatricality of her funeral.

The film is well-constructed, the inter-cutting of the interviews makes for interesting commentary and cross-commentary, different angles on revelations and memories, and all the time focusing on Diane and what all this means to Sarah.

For audiences who do not know Sarah Polley or her career, the film is strong enough in terms of creating characters, spotlighting their self-revelations, inviting the audience to share the experiences of this family, to identify with the experiences or, as observers, to be amazed at some of the repercussions. It is always interesting and affecting.


1. The dramatic impact on the audience? Their response? The story itself, the storytelling? The Polley family, Sarah herself, the interviews and the style, the 8 mm re-enactments? The musical score?

2. The film as a documentary, talking heads, the nature of the talk, to Sarah, to the other members assembled, to the camera, the assembly of the people, their names, Christian names only and some confusion, their being questioned? Michael and his reading his prepared text? His making it dramatic? The chronology, but some backtracking, the insertion of the home movie clips, real, enacted? Plausible? The story, like a detective story, secrets and lies, Sarah and the reality of her father, the effect on her, and the audience following her discovery and its reaction?

3. Sarah’s device for focusing on her story, for her family, for the dead mother, for the public and sharing the secrets?

4. Sarah and her writing and directing, glimpses of her at the console, asking her father to repeat sentence is? In the home movies, those with her father,
the meeting with Harry? The audience sharing this?

5. The studio in the house, setting it up, the visitors arriving, agreeing to be interviewed, states of nervousness, being seen on screen?

6. Mike Polley and his life, as the young man, actor, meeting Diane, co-starring, the affair, the divorce, losing her children, her own children with Mike Polley? Mike as a character, introvert, his self-comments? With Diane so many years, her going to Montreal, the performance, her illness, death? Her exuberance contrasting with him? The jokes about Sarah’s appearance, resembling her father or not? This question with Sarah over the years? Harry at the funeral? The gradual revelation, the DNA test, Mike accepting it? Writing his story, recording it, the repeat sentences, the ordinary scenes of him talking with Sarah in the kitchen?

7. The reminiscences about Diane, talk and memories, the footage, young, her marriage, her husband and children, the affair, the divorce, losing her children, acting, with Mike, casting director? Her verve and exuberance at parties? Singing and her behaviour? Ten years before going to Montreal, the relationship with Harry, with Geoff? Wanting an abortion, changing her mind on the way? Sarah’s birth, giving her life, happy with Sarah, keeping in contact with Harry, her illness, unwilling to die, her funeral like a show? The good speakers because of the acting careers?

8. The questionss to Sarah, the jokes, Geoff being a possible father, meeting Harry, discussions, talk, the truth, the rest of the family, whether to tell Mike or not? The journalist ringing her on the set of the film, her plea? The family resemblances with teeth and mouth? Harry’s family and their comments? The DNA tests, the effect on Harry, the years missed, yet it still a blessing to find Sarah again, Mike’s reaction?

9. John, his life, the interviews, his contribution? Susan and her memories?

10. Mark, a Polley, his family, the children? Joanna at the table? The frank remarks, the memories?

11. The range of friends, Dian’es friends and their promising secrecy to her?

12. The theatre, the directors, Geoff, his plausibility as father, his denials, one night stand?

13. The finale for Mike, the film and everything in the open?

14. The comments about divorce is and the connection with the crisis? Portrait of families, Mike and his grandchild, Sarah and her child? Sarah, her career? The whole experience as a catharsis for her?