Sarah Polley.
For the new CBC Saturday-night summer program The Filmmakers, journalist Johanna Schneller speaks with star Canadian directors, including Xavier Dolan, Atom Egoyan, Mina Shum, Kim Nguyen, Don McKellar, Deepa Mehta and, this week, actress-filmmaker Sarah Polley. Each episode involves an interview, followed by a presentation of one of the guest's films. The Globe and Mail spoke to Polley about her current fascinations.
What she's watching: "I will never get bored of watching and rewatching CBC's Baroness von Sketch Show. It makes me wild with delight. I cannot get over the intelligence and insanity of those women. If nothing else, watch the sketch We're at the Cottage."
What she's listening to: "I just rediscovered Gabrielle Papillon's album Little Bug. I listened to it constantly about five years ago. I like it even more now. She is an incredible songwriter and has a transcendent voice. My kids love it, too."
What she's reading: "The Lost Art of Good Conversation, by Sakyong Mipham. In the age of social media, with the absurd amounts of distraction and my own increasing lack of attention span, this book is teaching me to be human again. I'm in the midst of reading it and it's a mind-blowing relief."
Sarah Polley speaks with Johanna Schneller on The Filmmakers, followed by a broadcast of her film Stories We Tell, on Saturday, July 29, 8:30 p.m., cbc.ca/arts
Brad Wheeler