Take this waltz through 25 years of rare Sarah Polley interviews | CBC Arts - Action News
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The Filmmakers

Take this waltz through 25 years of rare Sarah Polley interviews

A look back through Polley's best on-air moments before she sits down with us for more "stories we tell" on the new episode of The Filmmakers.

A look back through Polley's best on-air moments before she sits down with us on The Filmmakers

The Filmmakers host Johanna Schneller with Sarah Polley
The Filmmakers host Johanna Schneller with Sarah Polley. Tune in this Saturday to watch their interview. (Nayani Thiyagarajah)

Despite playing characters in front of a camera since she was four years old, Sarah Polleyseems to be very particular about when she chooses to bein front of one as herself. Which is part of the reason why we're so thrilled to have her do just that this Saturday night, first in aninterview on CBC Arts new film talk show The Filmmakers, and then again when Stories We Tell her remarkable 2012 documentary about her own family airs afterwards.

To get you prepped, we decided to scour the internet for the other rare occasions Polleyhas appeared as Polley on screen. From a 1993 publicity reel for CBC'sfall TV lineup to aconversation at the Toronto International Film Festival promoting the very film you'll see Saturday night, here are sevenhighlights...

On CBC'sFall TV Preview, 1993

The earliest clip of Polleywe could find takes us on a road to '93, when the then 14-year-old actress helped the CBC promote Road To Avonlea as part of its fall TV preview. As poised,thoughtful and unabashedly Canadianthen as she is now, Polleydescribes Avonleaas a"really nice breathe of fresh air" because it shows Canadians their own history

On CBC Newsworld, 1995

We actually found two clips from Polley's sweet 16, one of whichshe describes the pressure of growing up (CBC Arts published it earlier this year, and you can watch it here). The other, however, gives us another side of Sarah: the political activist. In the below clip from CBC Newsworld, Polleycan be seen speaking at a rally against then-Ontario premier Mike Harris before she opens up for an incredibly wise interview about everything from said activism to questioning her talents as an actress.

On The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn, 2004

Cut to nineyears later (see what we mean about her being particular?) and you can the first ever appearenceof Polley on an American talk showas she promotes Dawn of the Dead on The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn. Now in her mid-20s, Polleygets a warm welcome one man screams, "We're not worthy!"before quickly getting into great Canadian pastimes like hockey, nicky nickynine doors and openly describing ourselves as "boring" (even if that's far from the truth).

On The Hour with George Stroumoboulopoulos, 2008

Promoting Away From Her her first feature film as a director Polley sat down with George Stroumboulopoulos on what was then known as The Hour. "I've been involved in Canadian film for my whole life," she says in the interview. "So you accept that the natural trajectory of a Canadian film is that you are for one week, in one theatre, in Toronto." As we now know, for the Oscar-nominated Away From Her, that ended up being far from the case.

Getting her star on Canada's Walk of Fame, 2010

Even if "fame" is something Polley has actively fought against for most of her career, it still seems like her star on Canada's Walk of Fame should have been there since it was established in 1998. But alas, it would take until 2010 for Polley to get her star, and she took the opportunity to once again be the country's biggest advocate for staying in Canada:"I feel really grateful to live in a city and a country that I love so much, and I'd like to express how lucky I am to have the opportunity to make a career in film and stay home," she says."I realize how rare that is."

At a press conference for Take This Waltz, 2011

Sarah Polleysecond feature film Take This Waltz once again brought her to the Toronto International Film Festival, whereshe was joined on stage with actors Seth Rogen, Sarah Silverman and Luke Kirby (Michelle Williams sadly couldn't be there) for nearly 40 minutes. Rogen and Silvermanexpectedly offer up some hilarious moments, but Polley gets in on the fun too. Cut to the 10:30 mark or so to see what happens when a journalist asks her and her castto share both the funniest and challenging moments of making the film.

In conversation with TIFF, 2013

One year after Stories We Tell was released, Polleydiscussed the experiences making the film as akeynote speaker at the Toronto International Film Festival's Doc Conference. It's an inspiring and extraordinary hour of Polley-ismsthat does give away quite a lot with respect to the film so perhaps tune in when we air itonSaturday night and then come back here to finish off your Polley parade right.

Watch Sarah Polley onThe FilmmakersthisSaturday nightat 8:30pm (9pm NT)on CBC Television with Stories We Tell followingat 9pm (9:30 NT). Stream bothonline atcbc.ca/watchshortly thereafter.