This blog post calmly follows how the documentary film 「Stories We Tell」 questions memory, truth, and the ethics of documentation beyond the life of one mother, examining the fundamental questions the film poses.
「Stories We Tell」 Synopsis
The film opens with director Sarah Polley gathering her family and acquaintances, asking each to share their own story about her late mother. Diane Polley, a Canadian theater actress, was beloved by those around her for her exceptionally cheerful and bright personality.
Diane happened to see a play starring an actor named Michael Polley and became captivated by his role, sparking her interest in acting. She subsequently pursued acting herself, grew close to Michael through their collaborative work, and eventually fell in love, leading to their marriage. Diane had already experienced a failed marriage and had two children, though she had lost custody of them. Perhaps because of that painful experience, she placed even greater expectations on Michael.
However, the person Diane loved on stage and the real-life husband Michael were completely different people. The couple gradually felt significant differences in every aspect—personality, mindset, tastes, and more. When children were born to them, Michael felt a sense of responsibility toward parenting and eventually quit acting. Diane, who believed Michael was talented not only in acting but also in writing and other fields, felt deeply disappointed by his choice.
Unable to abandon her own acting aspirations, Diane received a theater offer in Montreal, requiring her to leave home for two months. With the affection between them already fading, Michael accepted the proposal. However, on the day Michael traveled to Montreal to see Diane’s play, they passionately rekindled their love as in the past. This resulted in the birth of their daughter, Sarah Polley. Diane was forty-two at the time. Sarah Polley was eleven when Diane passed away from cancer.
One day, while Michael and Sarah were alone at home, all the siblings who had moved out gathered for dinner. During the meal, John, the older brother, brought up the fact that Sarah didn’t resemble their father, Michael. This conversation led the story back to John’s childhood. As a child, John overheard his mother Diane say on the phone that she didn’t know who the father of the child she was carrying was. The shock of this revelation at such a young age caused him to keep this secret to himself for many years.
As an adult, John finally confides this secret to his siblings. Sarah begins to speculate about who her biological father might be. Since most people around her say she resembles Jeff, an actor who worked with her mother on a play, Sarah seeks him out but doesn’t get the answer she hoped for. Still unable to shake her doubts, Sarah visits former colleagues who worked with Diane in Montreal. During this process, she meets Harry, a casting director and film producer, and learns that he, not Jeff, is her biological father.
After a DNA test confirms Harry is her father with 99% certainty, Sarah, after deep deliberation, confesses this truth to Michael, the father who raised her. Michael, who holds memories of loving Diane in Montreal, is deeply shocked, having always believed Sarah was undoubtedly his daughter. Simultaneously, he realizes how incredibly and astonishingly coincidental all of this is, prompting him to reflect on his past with Diane and his own past actions.
Michael resolves to record his past by writing down as many memories as possible on paper. Ultimately, all the records he leaves behind become the narration for this film.
Analysis and Perspective
The film adopts a participatory documentary format, featuring continuous interview scenes with Sarah Polley’s siblings, Diane’s acquaintances, and the individuals corresponding to her two fathers. Those interviewed freely share their memories of Diane, and interestingly, the image of Diane they describe largely shares similar impressions.
Sarah sought to understand aspects of her mother she didn’t know and her mother’s life before Sarah was born. Only after meeting Harry, her biological father, did she finally resolve the curiosity she had harbored for so long.
A particularly striking aspect of this film is that Michael, the father who raised Sarah, personally narrates the entire film, telling the story. The narration unfolds entirely from Michael’s perspective, even describing Harry, the biological father of the daughter he raised, through his own lens. As mentioned earlier in the plot summary, it’s a fascinating element that all the stories Michael had recorded following Sarah’s shocking confession were used as this film’s narration. This leaves an even more unique impression because the story unfolds from Michael’s own viewpoint, not Sarah’s.
Another notable feature is that Michael, the narrator, actually appears on screen during the narration. The film begins with him entering the recording studio and shows the very moment he opens his mouth to record the narration. Audiences witness not only Michael holding the script and recording, but also Sarah directing his narration. Scenes even show the already-recorded narration being repeated multiple times at Sarah’s request, exposing the documentary’s production process within the film itself.
Throughout the narration, frequent inserts show the past lives of Diane, Michael, Harry, and the brothers. These scenes include actual footage Michael shot himself with an 8mm camera in the past, alongside reenacted scenes performed by actors. Because actors bearing a striking resemblance to the real people were cast, there were moments before the credits where it was difficult to easily distinguish which scenes were actual records and which were reenactments. However, this does not significantly detract from the film experience.
True to her background as a feature film director, Sarah Polley meticulously placed carefully calculated reenactments within the documentary. This choice seems partly a reflection of her desire for cinematic direction within the process of creating a pure, authentic documentary. However, the reenactments are used concisely and appropriately, without disrupting the film’s immersion, and they effectively contribute to driving the overall narrative.
However, contrary to Sarah’s initial plan, the film begins with her mother’s story, expands into Sarah’s own narrative, and ultimately reaches a stage where it questions the very identity of this documentary film itself. Michael asks, “When you decided to make a documentary about finding your biological father, did you choose not to deeply consider how it might affect you?” Sarah responds that perhaps, beyond the surface reason for making this film, there might be some emotion or truth she had been denying all along. She adds that she herself isn’t entirely sure why she’s choosing to make her family and personal story public.
Watching this film made me realize that the documentary genre is incredibly thrilling precisely because you can never predict where the chosen subject and story will lead. All the elements arising from unexpected situations make documentaries feel even more authentic and real. Though it began as an attempt to document her late mother’s life, she discovers her mother’s shocking past of infidelity. Through the process of searching for her biological father and completing the documentary, this film clearly shows how the act of remembering and documenting someone leaves such important traces and impact, even if distorted memories are sometimes included. This work conveys, with quiet yet profound resonance, that documentation is ultimately the most powerful evidence left behind against the fading presence of people and time.
