The Lies We Tell Ourselves

I can't imagine going to a showing of LIES and not meeting up with director Saara. She is a most unique and genuine individual. Watching her film gave me a feeling that some scenes were self-indulgent. On meeting Saara there is an understanding as to why you should feel that way. And while it is important that no two people leave the cinema having the same interpretation of LIES; I think the genius of it is the series of scenes depicting Saara in conversation with a version of middle-aged entitlement hoping to gain funding ... yes funding ... why shouldn't she receive money for a silly film???

The Lies We Tell Ourselves is not your typical film viewing, but more an immersive experience into the often chaotic and always fascinating mind of the filmmaker. As I heard one audience member say, "This could only have been made by Saara Lamberg" and it is true. An impressive multi-hyphenate (writer-director-producer-actor), Saara's unique vision and presence carries the film. TLWTO is a funny and thought-provoking excursion through the trials and tribulations of the creative process, from constant rejections from funding bodies (one of the film's most hilarious and memorable sequences) to the filmmaker wondering who she has to sleep with to get her movie made. In the place of a linear narrative is layer upon layer of metatextuality with the director engaging directly with the audience and confronting their expectations of what a film should be. The deadpan humour and existential angst woven throughout is reminiscent of some of the great Scandinavian absurdist film directors... Roy Andersson particularly came to mind. Now if only the funding bodies would finally throw some support behind Saara Lamberg!

"The Lies We tell Ourselves" is a self aware but self irreverent film. Funny and moving all at once. A kind of mock biographical film about the blur that is an artist's life. A film that pulses light and not heat on a subject that refuses to be fully pinned down. A honest conversational toned film, with thought provoking and explorative glances at what it means to be an artist in a constantly evolving world. The all to real struggle of film making is expertly dissected. There's a humour in the face of adversity that make this a charming film. The no punchs pulled and great use of storytelling make this a film to be re-watched.

While sitting in 'The Lies We Tell Ourselves', I couldn't tell what was doco and what was narrative. Similar to the "fly on the wall" style of storytelling, and that's what I loved about it. Taking us on an immersive and confronting journey through the eyes of a unique and talented filmmaker, Saara Lamberg. Finding an honest, yet funny and meta approach to telling a story about the love, chaos, the rewards and heartbreak of film life and filmmaking. I'm so glad I got to experience this one at the Revelations Film Festival 2024. Well done Saara.

Looking forward to what you have next for us through your authentic and hilarious film lens.

The Lies We Tell Ourselves is an avant-garde treat about how it feels to be deep in the trenches of the creative process.

It's easy to see how people that don't share Lamberg's experiences could find this film unapproachable with its jarring, meta-ironic humour and surreal, postmodernist style. The film is constantly interrupted by the director herself with title cards, voiceover, and scene changes. At points, it's as if the audience is seeing the editing process happen live as the film unfolds. It never allows you to settle into a relaxed viewing. Alongside a score that wouldn't feel out of place in a horror movie, The Lies We Tell Ourselves paints a picture of the pressures Lamberg feels as she tries to juggle life and creativity. It's a film drenched in anxiety and self-doubt.

I was struck by just how painfully relatable the piece was when it came to demonstrating what it is to create art. More than a few times, I felt my own struggles and shortcomings reflected back at me. I have never made a feature film, but I am currently studying to become a professional writer. Lamberg is not afraid to be frank about the self-destruction that seems inherent with creating art; the constant strive to be better and the constant feelings of inadequacy when you can never quite get there.

One particular scene that stuck out to me was when Saara visits her friend for a drink. The friend brings up that she's concerned for Saara's professional reputation considering she is constantly posting nude scenes from her films online. Saara gets defensive. Creating these films is Saara's profession, and the friend doesn't understand that.

Throughout, we see the amount of effort Lamberg puts into her film in front of and behind the camera compared to the lack of support she gets from the people around her. We feel her frustration when the film industry refuses to help. In some ways, The Lies We Tell Ourselves is a darkly funny sketch show about fighting to get your work taken seriously. If your art is an extension of yourself and no one respects it, what does that say about how they see you?

If you fall on the red carpet, will anyone be there to catch you?