Stories We Tell: Review. By Ayrton-Lewis Avery.

Stories We Tell is a documentary more in the style of an epic film. It follows the family of its director, Sarah Polley, all Canadian actors and artists. However, this film is more of a commentary on the art of filmmaking and acting itself.

The story itself is merely of Polley’s search for her father after realizing that she may have been born of an affair. It is neither shocking nor exciting, but does course through a variety of emotions (heartwarming, sadness, nostalgia, et cetera). The plot is beautifully constructed, and as the movie runs its course, it looks more like a play, focusing on a melodrama crafted around the actors’ personal lives. 

One theme is how Polley’s mother bends gender conventions. At the beginning, she appears to be a standard Canadian housewife, energetic and hardworking. But as it goes on, it reveals that she holds plenty of secrets. The media was shocked when she, as a mother, lost custody of the children in a divorce. Later on, it is revealed that a group of men talked her out of an abortion. However, perhaps the men did not do as much influencing as her own thoughts, though that is never revealed to the audience.

Stories We Tell is more than an independent documentary. All the interviews, the screenplay, and the Super-8 footage made to look like a historical retelling of the family’s life combine to build a powerful and introspective piece of art. The cinematography, for a documentary, is surprisingly well-done too: there are so many scenes that emphasize the minute expressions of the actors’ faces, or that illustrate visually an allegory the characters are expounding upon.

Overall, Stories We Tell is an intriguing film about delusions, lies, and emotions. It is a unique, theatrical, and, for some, revelatory exploration of family, love, and time.

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