Chelsey d’Adesky is a writer, director and producer currently based in London. Growing up Chelsey’s mother lived in California and her father lived in Florida, so she spent years traveling between the two. She was always on the go, always keeping her eyes open and looking for opportunities to draw inspiration from her ever-changing atmosphere. There’s no better place than the airport to people watch, learn to read body languages, personal idiosyncrasies and interpret the emotions of others.
Living with her actor mom in Los Angeles, she learned early on to explore her artistic curiosities and was afforded unparalleled opportunities to pursue her interests in journalism, photography and dance. In high school she was reporting on and producing her own news segments that were broadcast on the local cable network as well as dancing and choreographing for her school’s theatre company. Going into university, she studied broadcast journalism at The George Washington University and interned at The New York Daily News and CBS in the summers. This is when she first started shooting, writing, and editing and exploring pressing subjects through the eye of the camera.
After school, Chelsey worked at Publicis in New York City as a commercial producer for clients such as Citibank, Cadillac, and more. She got her first taste of directing online videos at her agency for Garnier and Matrix and a handful of other clients. Chelsey spent much of her time outside of work exploring this passion, creating short films and content and for brands she felt personally inspired by. Hoping to develop her storytelling skills and interest in filmmaking with more artistic freedom, she began her masters degree at The London Film School. Chelsey wants to tell stories in a visual captivating way that will impact how others see the world on a deep level. Her exposure to different cultures and ways of life coupled with her strong sense of independence and keen observation drives her thirst to create meaningful films.
My first serious relationship lasted from age twelve all the way through nineteen. Michael was my first kiss, first love, first everything. We grew up together. After University and spending a few years apart, we reconnected right before he moved to Texas. Once he left, it took me a few months to notice he was ignoring me. He joined the marines, I called- no answer. He got engaged, I texted- no answer. After two years of not speaking, I got a call. I was carrying a lot of guilt because I didn’t know what caused him to cut me off. He said it was the only way he knew how to move on. It completely shifted my perception of where we stood and how I looked back on the relationship and got me thinking…What if there was a place like The Closure Center? A place where two people could go and have a shared experience of reflection and process unfinished feelings together. How would this change the way we look back on relationships and ourselves?
With this film, I was interested in exploring how two characters would react to this enclosed process of reflection, discussion, and decision. Very much like the process we all go through when breaking up with or losing touch with a loved one, just more official and a bit strange. I was fascinated with the idea of what individuals hold onto in aftermath of a relationship and how that shapes how they view the experience, themselves, and their partners. When given an opportunity to watch themselves together and clarify uncertainties, I wanted to show how two people would react and ultimately, whether they could let go.
The tone of the film is melancholic and nostalgic with moments of lightness. We went for a retro feeling mixing elements of high tech but in a tangible not-so-distant futuristic way. The visual approach is mixed between more controlled, stylized composition in the present day juxtaposed with a handheld and jumpcut style in the memory sequences. Thus visually highlighting the two times and emotional spaces we are in during these sections. Some of the themes in this film include addressing the past in order to clarify the future, reflection, communication, independence, and the intersection of nature and technology.
Festival for Drama in Film, Screenplays, Novels 