Stories we Tell

Movie Name: Stories we Tell
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Sarah Polley

Featuring: Sarah Polley, Michael Polley, Harry Gulkin, Joanna Polley, Mort Ransen, Mark Polley, Deirdre Bowen, Pixie Bigelow, Geoffrey Bowes

Genre: Documentary

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:

Sarah Polley is of course well known for her acting skills, but since "Away from Her", she has steadily been building a directing career, one that also includes "Take this Waltz".
"Stories we Tell" is a documentary that the director embarked on, to know more about her mother's story, and ultimately her own. Sarah Polley's mother passed away in 1990, and left behind a devastated family and some questions regarding the director's own parenthood. The documentary tries to trace the story of Diane and Sarah Polley's, from multiple and distinct voices (family members, friends, co-workers). The documentary also includes a lot of stock footage, depicting the family's earlier days, where all the key players give us an insight into what that family life was all about. It's interesting that Sarah Polley actually turns the tables on the documentary premise, and she actually stages these scenes with actors portraying her parents and siblings. It is in a way, bringing to life, stories she can only reminisce through the words of others. This is a documentary that probes deep into what makes a family a unique reality, with all their dynamics, secrets, pain and anguish that make every day life so indistinguishably theirs. A great documentary worth watching and reflecting upon.