Stories We Tell(2012) May 2026

: To fill the gaps where no footage existed, Polley filmed elaborate re-creations using Super-8 film. These sequences, featuring actors like Rebecca Jenkins as Diane, are so authentic that they are often indistinguishable from real family memories.

Sarah Polley’s is a groundbreaking autobiographical documentary that investigates the filmmaker's own family secrets and the elusive nature of truth. At its core, the film explores Polley’s discovery that the man who raised her, Michael Polley, was not her biological father—a revelation stemming from an affair her late mother, Diane, had while performing in a play in Montreal. The Quest for a Single Truth Stories We Tell(2012)

: While deeply personal, critics at The Hollywood Reporter and The A.V. Club noted that the film resonates as a universal meditation on how families define themselves through the stories they inherit. : To fill the gaps where no footage

The documentary is structured as an investigation where Polley interviews her siblings, her father Michael, and friends of her mother to piece together Diane’s life. Diane passed away from cancer when Sarah was only 11, leaving behind a legacy of vibrant energy and hidden layers. At its core, the film explores Polley’s discovery