Sarah Polley takes name off latest short film when it turns out to be a margarine ad

Sarah Polley takes name off latest short film when it turns out to be a margarine ad

(Image: Bryan Chan)

Toronto actor and director Sarah Polley has taken her name off the two-minute film The Heart five days before it was scheduled to air during the Oscars because she found out that it will be used to promote Becel margarine, in addition to women’s health.

In a statement released Tuesday, she says:

In December 2009, I made a film to be aired during the Academy Awards that I believed was to promote the Heart and Stroke Foundation. When I agreed to make this film (The Heart), I was thrilled, as I was proud to be associated with the work of this incredible organization.

However, I have since learned that my film is also being used to promote a product. Regretfully, I am forced to remove my name from the film and disassociate myself from it. I have never actively promoted any corporate brand, and cannot do so now.

According to the Globe and the Vancouver Sun, neither Unilever (Becel’s parent company) nor the Heart and Stroke Foundation has released a statement. Becel is a sponsor of the Heart and Stroke Foundation and even uses the catchphrase “Love your heart.” Reports say that Becel commissioned the film, leaving us to wonder if the wool was over Polley’s eyes.

• Polley pulls name from sponsored film [CBC]