Storytelling
Storytelling is an important motif in The Stories We Tell. At the beginning of the documentary, Sarah asks her father to read out the memoir he wrote about his life, alluding to the significance of stories. In addition to this, Polley quotes Margaret Atwood at the very beginning:
"When you're in the middle of a story it isn't a story at all... it's only afterward that it becomes anything like a story at all when you're telling it to yourself or to someone else."
Family
Family is a key motif of this documentary, in which Sarah interviews members of her family. In particular, Sarah is trying to learn more about her late mother, Diane. Interestingly, the idea of family is explored when Sarah reveals that she is the result of an affair between her mother and Harry. As such, the viewer is invited to question what constitutes a family and promotes the importance of having support from one's relatives.
Memories
Each person Sarah interviews tells her something different about her mother Diane, and the documentary is focused on remembering and retelling memories of loved ones. As Diane, unfortunately, died in 1990, the memories of her are very significant to the family. Her presence is something they remember fondly, and Diane is presented as a fun and charismatic person.
Diane's laugh
In the documentary, Diane is presented as fun-loving, enthusiastic, and carefree. In particular, friends and relatives remark upon her laugh, which was loud and cheerful.
Diane's affair
Diane's affair with Harry is a symbol of her betrayal of her husband Michael. In doing so, she had violated the contract of their marriage and caused her family distress. This being said, the family is incredibly supportive after finding out about it, and it brings them closer together.
