The Chinook Film Group’s next screening will be Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. with Canadian director, Sarah Polley’s latest, Stories We Tell.
“We chose this film due to the way it presents the truth of a story as perceived by various members of an extended family,” explained Murray Mitchell, spokesperson for the film aficionado group.
“Also, the family theme leading into the Christmas season is appropriate — plus, it’s Canadian and it’s Sarah Polley’s latest.”
The title, Stories We Tell, also ties in with the Nan Boothby Library’s newest initiative with the Chinook Film Group, which encourages film buffs to donate their gently used DVD’s to the local library’s DVD collection.
In her newest documentary, Oscar-nominated Polley plays the dual role of sleuth and director, as she uncovers the layers of secrets kept under cover by a family of storytellers — her own; the cine-memoir is of Polley’s own parents, British-born actor Michael Polley and Canadian actor and casting director Diane Polley.
The story unveils how Polley discovers her father was indeed not her biological parent — a result from an affair her mother (who died when Polley was young) had.
Polley’s investigative tactics, including interviews with family members, reveal the complicated, warm and funny twists and turns that are a part of every family.
The film is noted for its relatability, emotional complexity and rich warmth.
Critics favour Stories We Tell over her recent feature flick, Take This Waltz (2012).
Polley reveals only glimpses of herself through tidbits of emails she writes; in essence, Polley explains the answers to her family secrets through an illustration of the unanswerable.
The indie, full-length documentary was released last month as a special presentation by the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival; it is the first documentary Polley has directed.
Tickets to Stories We Tell are $10 and are available at Java Jamboree and Video Experts.
