Documentary 'Stories We Tell’ screening at Cimatheque

CAIRO – 30 March 2018: The genre-defying documentary “Stories We Tell" will screen at Cimatheque on Apr. 1 and again on Apr. 3.

Oscar-nominated Canadian actress and director Sarah Polley goes behind the camera to delve into the personal labyrinth of her family's history, bringing up personal and sometimes painful secrets in this incredibly intimate and creative documentary. It's an examination on the strange, elusive nature of truth, and how it varies wildly depending on who is telling it and what they believe. The story centers on Polley's parents; retired British actor Michael Polley and former Canadian star Diane Polley, who would die of cancer when Sarah was only 11.

The bulk of the film consists of interviews conducted with a wide range of participants; Sarah's four siblings and her father, each of them varying in reliability and credibility. Polley pokes into the details of her parent's relationship, forming a coherent yet contradictory narrative; details emerge, such as how her mother wanted to have an abortion, but stopped at the last minute, and how rumors abounded that Michael was not Sarah's father, especially given her close relationship with producer Harry Gulkin. For every answer she receives, Sarah is left with more questions, spiraling down further and further into a mystery that reveals more about her than she first expected.
From her family of storytellers, Polley learns just how powerful narratives are as a tool in shaping lives.

"Stories We Tell" is the seventh film by Polley and her third feature production. It emerges from her desire to examine the nature of relationships and personal connections. Some of her previous works include "Away from Her" (2006), exploring the effects of dementia and the romantic "Take This Waltz" (2011). "Stories We Tell" won the Special Jury Award at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival's Documentary Film Competition.