Interview: Jennifer Fox – The Tale

Previously known for documentaries Beirut: The Last Home Movie (1987) and My Reincarnation (2011), producer and cinematographer Jennifer Fox just entered the narrative sphere. Fox wrote, produced and directed The Tale: the biggest conversation-starter at Sundance ’18. Inspired by a true #metoo story, Fox crafts a fictional retelling of her own sexual assault by an older man … and the painful aftermath many years later.

An enigmatic Laura Dern stands in for Fox’s character; she’s haunted by the traces of her past. The Tale is as powerful as it is hard to watch. A story-about-storytelling, Fox plays with narrative structure and unreliable narration as a means to explore how fallible memories can be. How we often warp stories in order to protect ourselves. This is film that warrants discussion, and one that will surely open the gate for more like it. After her screening, I met up with Fox for an interview to discuss her eye-opening, multi-layered artwork.