Away From Her presents an intriguing paradox: In quiet, understated ways, it marks the debut of a powerfully talented new director. Sarah Polley, the 28-year-old Canadian actress best known for roles in Go and The Sweet Hereafter, steps behind the camera for her first feature with the confidence and precision of a seasoned veteran.

(Limited Theaters) Filmmaker Atom Egoyan - a longtime onscreen collaborator with the gifted young thesp Sarah Polley (The Sweet Hereafter) - executive-produced Polley's directorial debut, Away from Her, starring Julie Christie, Olympia Dukakis, Michael Murphy and Wendy Crewson. Continue Summary Photo gallery / Review / Trailer / More

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Becoming big in Hollywood has never been Sarah Polley's agenda. It shows in her acting choices, almost exclusively small, intimate tales made far outside the American studio system. And it shows in the actress' directing debut with Away From Her, a mature, thoughtful but downbeat drama about a woman (Julie Christie) succumbing to Alzheimer's and the impact it has on her husband (Gordon Pinsent).

Away From Her is the lyrical screenplay adaptation of celebrated author Alice Munro's short story The Bear Came Over The Mountain, a beautifully moving love story that deals with memory and its circuitous, enigmatic paths over the course of a long marriage. Beloved by critics and audiences alike when it premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival, the film marks the arrival of an exciting new female filmmaker in Canadian actress Sarah Polley, here making her feature screenwriting and directorial debut.