By Logan Grimes

Stories We Tell is a 2012 documentary film directed by Sarah Polley and the film follows Sarah Polley as she learns about herself, her paternal father, and her relationship to her family. The documentary film uses multiple people’s perspectives as it showcases this story about this family that could be like any other family. Polley shows in this film what family means. Family is not inherently biological. Family is the people that matter most in someone’s lives.

The movie starts with how Polley’s mother and father met and fell in love as they started a family. The movie continues on and showcases how the marriage was not as it originally seemed. Her mother, Diane, led a different life that she was not very honest about. Polley talks with other members with her family and other individuals connected with her family in order to learn more about who her mother was and what she was actually like.

This film does not shy away from discussing darker and more undesirable aspects of these people’s lives. Sarah and her siblings experience lies from their parents, learn about extramarital affairs, and confess to enduring abuse from people as a result of growing up in a separated family. During the talking head interviews throughout the film, the viewers are able to see the intense emotion the family feels discussing this part of their lives.

This documentary has a unique style of storytelling involving Sarah Polley’s father narrating the whole story as the film progresses. Polley did a wonderful job directing the documentary by making the film’s emotions raw and authentic. When her father discusses the story, I could hear the emotions in his voice. Sarah’s relationship to her father is largely unaffected by her paternal discovery, and they are still as close as ever. There is no doubt that they are father and daughter. It was really sweet to watch and hear them talk about their story.

The film gives every person involved equal weight as they deliver their version of the story to the viewers. Seeing different perspectives and opinions to a story, makes the film more engaging. The viewers can see the siblings talk about how they see their parents and how new revelations may change that. Viewers see how family and friends about the situation from a certain distance. Viewers watch people discussing their anger and frustration from the situation as a whole. Most importantly, viewers see what this family is like and how they truly feel.

Overall this film is a great documentary. I can truly appreciate how real the film is. It shows people’s authentic emotions as they discuss their story. A story that is not far fetched and many people can relate to in some way. This film made me feel and it was something that I would recommend to everyone.