Sarah Polley adds director to resume

By Belinda Goldsmith

NEW YORK, March 22 (Reuters Life!) - From child star, to political activist, to the thinking man's pin-up, to film director, Sarah Polley's varied career has made her one of Canada's most talked about actresses.

She is now in the spotlight with her screenwriting and feature-length film directing debut, "Away From Her," based on a short story by author Alice Munro. The film starring Julie Christie and was shown at this year's Sundance Festival and is set for general release in early May.

Toronto-based Polley, 28, who comes from a family of actors, began her career at the age of four in a Disney movie and went on to be the child star of TV series "Road to Avonlea."

After quitting acting for a while to focus on left-wing political activism, she was persuaded to return in 1997 and has since made a successful transition to adult films, appearing in "The Sweet Hereafter," "Go", and "Dawn of the Dead."

She spoke to Reuters recently about juggling her life:

Q: What lead you to directing this film?

A: "I read this short story in the New Yorker and I was entranced. I just couldn't stop seeing Julie Christie's face in the role. It took a long time to convince her to play the part though because she is not someone who likes working a lot."

Q: Did you enjoy it?

A: "The experience of making the film was so great. This is something I want to continue to do in the future. I really love acting and want to continue with that too but I loved the intensity of the collaboration of film making. It is the hardest thing I have ever done but also the most exhilarating. There is such a lot of responsibility and pressure on you."

Q: Why do you think directing is so male dominated?

A: "It is a very strange sensation where you think we must have progressed further than this. There aren't enough (female) role models out there for my liking. I can't figure out why. Maybe it is because the decisions are made mainly by men.

I made this film in a privileged environment. There was no creative battles at all. I think it is because making a film in Canada is a different process and there is a lot of respect in the film maker. It is unheard of for the film maker not to have final cut."

Q: What are you working on now?

A: I am in the middle of scripting two things right now and they are totally different from what I made. I don't want to be a film maker who is immediately recognizable. One is an adaptation and one is an original screenplay.

Regarding acting, I am about to start in June on an HBO mini series about John Adams and in September start a film."