Stories We Tell (2013) Plot Summary Explained

Sarah Polley's biological father is Montreal producer Harry Gulkin, not Michael Polley who raised her. The documentary reveals that Sarah was conceived during an extramarital affair between her mother Diane Polley and Gulkin. This revelation is the central secret that Sarah uncovers while investigating her family's history.

Foreshadowing: The film hints at this truth early through subtle comments from family members about Sarah's physical resemblance to someone else.

• harry gulkin
• biological father
• paternity
• affair
• sarah polley family

Sarah Polley investigates her family's past to understand her own identity and reconcile with her family history. After her mother Diane died when Sarah was just 11 years old, she felt there were unresolved questions about her family background that needed answers. The documentary represents her five-year journey to piece together the truth about her origins.

Foreshadowing: The film opens by introducing the complexity of her parents' relationship, setting up the deeper investigation to come.

• identity
• family secrets
• investigation
• personal history
• motivation

Diane Polley died from cancer on January 10, 1990, just one week before Sarah Polley's 11th birthday. Her death profoundly impacted the family and left Sarah with unresolved questions about her identity and family history. The timing of her death, so close to Sarah's birthday, adds emotional weight to the documentary's exploration of loss and memory.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes establish Diane as a vibrant presence in the family, making her illness and eventual death feel like a sudden, devastating turn.

• diane polley death
• cancer
• family loss
• sarah polley birthday
• 1990

Journalists including Brian D. Johnson and Matthew Hays had known about Sarah's biological father for years but respected her privacy. They waited for Sarah to feel ready to share her story in her own voice rather than having it exposed publicly without her consent. Sarah ultimately chose to reveal the truth herself through her documentary.

Foreshadowing: This detail underscores the theme of control over one's own narrative, which becomes central to the film's message about storytelling.

• journalists
• privacy
• brian d johnson
• matthew hays
• nfb

The Super-8 footage in the documentary is actually faux home videos created specifically for the film, not authentic family recordings. Director Sarah Polley cast actors to portray family members in these staged scenes to emulate genuine home movies. This creative choice adds a nostalgic quality while also raising questions about memory, authenticity, and the construction of family narratives.

Foreshadowing: The film presents these sequences with such authenticity that viewers initially believe they are real home movies, which ties into the documentary's themes about truth and storytelling.

• super-8
• home movies
• faux footage
• nostalgia
• memory
• reconstruction

Michael Polley, who raised Sarah as his own daughter, narrates portions of the documentary from his memoir. His narration provides insight into his perspective on the marriage, the affair, and the family dynamics. While the documentary doesn't reveal explicit details of his initial reaction, his involvement in the project suggests a willingness to confront the past and participate in Sarah's journey of discovery.

Foreshadowing: Michael's narration appears early in the film, establishing his voice as a key perspective on the family's history.

• michael polley
• reaction
• affair
• marriage
• memoir
• narration

The documentary features interviews with Sarah's siblings from her mother's two marriages. Each sibling offers different perspectives on the family dynamics and the revelation about Harry Gulkin being Sarah's biological father. The interviews reveal the varying impacts this knowledge had on their understanding of family history and their relationships with both their mother and Sarah.

Foreshadowing: Early interviews establish the siblings' diverse viewpoints, hinting at the different ways the revelation would affect each of them.

• siblings
• reaction
• family members
• interviews
• half-siblings
• perspective

Sarah Polley spent five years making the documentary because the emotional weight of uncovering her family's secrets required significant time for reflection and processing. She often took breaks during the five-year production to regroup her thoughts. The extended timeline allowed her to conduct thorough interviews, gather archival material, and ultimately come to terms with what she discovered before sharing it with the public.

Foreshadowing: The documentary's methodical pacing reflects the careful, considered approach Sarah took throughout her investigation.

• five years
• production
• timeline
• reflection
• emotional journey
• process

The affair between Diane Polley and Harry Gulkin remained hidden for decades due to the stigma of extramarital relationships and the desire to protect family relationships. Diane passed away in 1990, and the secret remained protected by family members and journalists who learned of it over the years. Sarah herself chose to keep the matter private until she felt prepared to confront it publicly through her documentary.

Foreshadowing: The film's exploration of secrecy and its consequences becomes evident early as Sarah describes her motivation for uncovering the truth.

• secrecy
• hidden
• family secret
• privacy
• protection
• stigma

While Harry Gulkin is identified as Sarah Polley's biological father, the summary does not specify whether he appears in interviews or contributes directly to the documentary. The film focuses primarily on family members including Michael Polley, Diane Polley (portrayed by Rebecca Jenkins), siblings, and other relatives who share their perspectives on the family history.

Foreshadowing: The documentary's emphasis on family interviews suggests Gulkin's perspective may be indirectly addressed rather than directly featured.

• harry gulkin
• montreal producer
• interview
• contribution
• perspective