Sarah Polley is a renowned Canadian actress, writer, director, and political activist who rose to fame in the 90s. Polley was born into the entertainment industry. Her mother Diane Polley was an actress and casting director, while her stepfather Michael Polley was an actor. The pair co-starred together during her years as a child actor. Her siblings Mark Polley and John Buchan are also in the industry; the former is an actor, and the latter a casting director. It was Polley’s family connections and her own determination that prompted her to pursue an acting career at the age of four. Indeed, her career began taking off around the age of ten when she starred as Sara Stanley in Avonlea based on the Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery. By the age of 17, Polley had won two Gemini Awards, dropped out of high school to focus on political activism, and was one of the biggest Canadian celebrities of that time.

In 1997, Polley starred in Atom Egoyan’s The Sweet Hereafter, a heartbreaking masterpiece told in reverse-chronology. It is considered one of the best Canadian movies of all time and marks Polley’s breakthrough role. Just two years later in 1999, Polley became Hollywood’s it-girl when she impressed critics with her performance in Guinevere at the Sundance Film Festival and starred in the cult-classic Go. Polley was originally cast as Penny Lane in Cameron Crowe’s hit film Almost Famous, but ultimately backed out over concerns she had been miscast. She told Total Film Magazine, via The Uncool, “I’m not Kate Hudson, I’m not like this beautiful movie star who walks in a room and every guy feels weak at the knees and stuff. But you know I think that’s only a testament to me that I knew that and dropped out and let Kate Hudson do that!"

From then on, Polley began to diverge from the path of Hollywood, opting instead to star in lesser-known independent roles or Canadian films. This decision stemmed from a desire to choose projects she felt were socially important. She also set her sights on writing and directing. Her directorial debut came in the form of the 2006 film Away From Her, a powerful yet heartbreaking examination of the effects of Alzheimer’s. Polley has since gone on to become a tour-de-force woman director. Her upcoming film Women Talking isslated for release on December 2, 2022. Here is every movie directed by Sarah Polley, ranked.

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4 Women Talking

     Plan B Entertainment / hear/say Productions / Orion Pictures

Women Talking is Polley’s most recent project. It is based on the Miriam Toews novel of the same name and screened at TIFF 2022 earlier this month. The film is a fearless examination of the patriarchal oppression and sexual abuse within a tight-knit religious community, as the affected women assess the risk and rewards of abiding by their religion versus leaving the perilous situation. According to Variety, the film has generated quite the awards buzz so far, judging from its response at the Telluride Film Festival.

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3 Take This Waltz

     Joe's Daughter

Take This Waltz is a romantic comedy starring Seth Rogen and Michelle Williams that chronicles the story of Margot, a married freelance writer from Toronto who feels conflicted when she becomes intrigued by Daniel, an artist who lives across the street. Her budding relationship with Daniel, played by Luke Kirby, forces Margot to re-examine her feelings for her husband of five years. Take This Waltz is based on an original screenplay by Polley herself and marks her sophomore film.

2 Away From Her

     Foundry Films

Away From Her is based on a short story by Alice Munro and marks Polley’s feature directorial debut. The film is a devastating masterpiece that follows elderly couple Fiona (Julie Christie) and Grant (Gordon Pinsent) as they deal with the complications of Fiona’s advancing Alzheimer’s disease. Due to her condition, she unwittingly becomes involved in an extramarital affair with a fellow patient. The touching film examines what true love really is, and isn’t. Polley’s first efforts directing a feature film earned a slew of awards for her directing and adapted screenplay.

1 Stories We Tell

     National Film Board of Canada

Polley’s third feature film Stories We Tell is a documentary that explores her own family secrets, including one concerning her parentage. The film is shot using super-8 cameras to mimic the look of old home videos. The faux footage is surprisingly convincing in large part due to the superb casting of characters. The film was lauded with awards and praise and is widely considered one of the best Canadian films of all time.