Dreaming Walls

Synopsis

The legendary Chelsea Hotel, an icon of 1960s counterculture and a haven for famous artists and intellectuals including Patti Smith, Janis Joplin and the superstars of Warhol’s Factory, is under renovation. Soon it will reopen to the public as one of New York’s most fashionable luxury hotels. 

Dozens of people, most in their later years, still live amidst the scaffolding and constant construction. Against this chaotic backdrop, the film takes us through the hotel’s storied halls, exploring its living body and the utopian spirit  that contribute to its mythical stature. Its residents, casualties of capitalism, and the walls themselves now face a turning point in their common history. 

Festivals & Awards

Berlinale Panorama 2022, Berlin Germany

Open Horizons section, Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, Thessaloniki Greece

Highlights Section, CPH:DOX, Copenhagen Denmark

Doc competition, Luxemburg Film Festival, Luxemburg

Glasgow Film Festival, Glasgow Scotland

Docs Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

DocAviv, Tel Aviv, Israel

Tribeca Film Festival, New York City, USA

Lussas, France

IDFA Best of Fest

Credits

Writer & Director
Joe Rohanne & Maya Duverdier
Director of Photography
Virginie Surdej
Joachim Philippe
Producer
Hanne Phlypo
Executive Producer
Lori Cheatle
Executive Producer
Martin Scorsese
Coproducers
Frédéric de Goldschmidt
Quentin Laurent
Simone van den Broek
David Herdies

Partners

Media International

Les Films de l’oeil sauvage

Basalt Film

Momento Film

Hard Working Movies

Centre du Cinéma de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles

Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds (VAF)

Nederlands Filmfonds (NFF)

Swedish Film Institute (SFI)

CBA Doc

Brouillon d’un rêve

RTBF

CANVAS

SVT

Creative Europe MEDIA Programme of the European Union

Eurimages