Polley’s other projects worth checking out

Toronto filmmaker Sarah Polley’s Oscar-winning “Women Talking” is not her first notable project. Here are five others you should know about.

Away From Her (2006)

Based on the short story by Alice Munro called “The Bear Came Over the Mountain,” the feature film depicts a husband who struggles with his wife’s Alzheimer’s. The drama earned Polley Academy Award nominations for Best Writing and Adapted Screenplay.

Stories We Tell (2012)

In this personal documentary, Polley digs into her family’s past and uncovers long-hidden secrets about her parentage. After being raised by actors Michael Polley and Diane Polley (who died when Sarah was just 11), the filmmaker shares the painful story of how she found out Michael was not her biological father. The documentary earned a Canadian Screen Award and prizes at many film festivals.

Take this Waltz (2011)

Starring Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen and Luke Kirby, the film is a romantic drama in which a woman falls for an artist. The forbidden love story features city landmarks in Kensington Market, Trinity Bellwoods Park, Centre Island and more.

Hey Lady (2020)

This short-form CBC Gem series delivers laughs in five-minute bursts. The eight-episode comedy follows a 75year-old woman (Jayne Eastwood) who refuses to follow society’s expectations for a woman her age. It won Canadian Screen Awards for Eastwood and for Polley’s directing.

Run Towards the Danger (2022)

Polley’s first book of essays holds “the most dangerous stories of my life: the ones I have avoided, the ones I haven’t told, the ones that have kept me awake on countless nights.” In the essay “The Woman Who Stayed Silent,” Polley recounts a bad date with disgraced former CBC host Jian Ghomeshi.