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AMERICAN DOCUMENTARY & ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL (AmDocs)
TO HOST WORLD PREMIERE OF THE DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
DAWN DUSK
A DEEPLY PERSONAL PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST’S JOURNEY THROUGH THE DAWNS AND DUSKS OF GRIEF, HEALING, CREATION, AND HOPE IN THE FACE OF GREAT LOSS AND INJUSTICE
Artist Chelli Look, A Leather Bag Designer, Journeys Through Grief After
Her Sister Was Murdered By Her Brother-in-law
PALM SPRINGS, CA (MARCH 7, 2024) – Directors Blue & Jason Gerber did not realize that they were embarking on a 6 year journey when they approached Chelli Look about the possibility of making a short “maker” documentary with the intent of featuring her art, elegant leather handbags. Little did they know that 6 years later they would be completing a 92 minute documentary about art, grief, forgiveness, grace, and growth. That documentary, Dawn Dusk, will have its World Premiere at 2:30pm on March 24th at the American Documentary & Animation Film Festival (AmDocs) in Palm Springs, CA.
At first look, audiences might think they are watching a film about the rise of a leather bag designer & entrepreneur. However, as the story goes on, what really unfolds is a deeply personal portrait of an artist’s journey through the dawns and dusks of grief, healing, creation, and hope in the face of great loss and injustice.
Synopsis: Dawn Dusk is an intimate, personal and therapeutic witness to a leather bag designer’s process of grief after the murder of her sister. It has been 10 years since Chelli Look’s sister Megan was murdered by Megan’s husband. Chelli’s brand, CHC, is about to launch its latest collection called Dawn Dusk. Through it all, Chelli wrestles with how to honor Megan’s legacy, and the weight of running a business, while remaining an artist at heart. Eventually, Chelli must reconcile these things with the future of her brand. Chelli’s search for healing and her creative voice is poignant and relevant for anyone who's experienced loss. Woven with painterly visuals of the sun rising and setting, Dawn Dusk intimately captures an artist’s journey through grief and search for purpose.
Direct Link for the “Dawn Dusk” trailer: https://youtu.be/R3zUbI9vZ9c
“When we started filming Dawn Dusk, we originally thought we were making a short ‘maker’ documentary about Chelli’s work, the art of leather bag design, and creation. We’ll never forget that first coffee meeting with Chelli. We asked her how she got her start as a designer and she unexpectedly answered with the story of her sister’s murder and her journey to forgiveness,” said Jason Gerber, director. This was the “why” of Chelli’s story rather than the how.
“We weren’t sure how to proceed other than to start filming. We began filming with Chelli; suddenly we found ourselves as a witness to someone's grief who was expressing it as an artist. We realized that we were seeing connections in Chelli’s story that Chelli didn’t see herself at the time. We were seeing that she was outpouring her creativity as an artist from that place of grief, but hope was breaking through. Her art was a reflection of a light in the darkness, themes of beauty and hope surfacing through this really intense, sickening loss and grief,” Blue Gerber, director.
“We were drawing the connections between those two things, and realized that the reason that she would go to watch these sunrises and sunsets was because she was grieving, that the inspiration for her work and her art was coming from this place of healing and wanting to honor her sister,” said Jason Gerber, director.
"We invited her to process it on camera and began asking her what was going on when she went to watch these sunrises and sunsets during a time when everything was so dark. That’s when we began uncovering the deeper story and the heart of Dawn Dusk, the film, came to life," said Blue Gerber, director.
At first look, audiences might think they are watching a film about the rise of a leather bag designer & entrepreneur. However, as the story goes on, what really unfolds is a deeply personal portrait of an artist’s journey through the dawns and dusks of grief, healing, creation, and hope in the face of great loss and injustice.
Synopsis: Dawn Dusk is an intimate, personal and therapeutic witness to a leather bag designer’s process of grief after the murder of her sister. It has been 10 years since Chelli Look’s sister Megan was murdered by Megan’s husband. Chelli’s brand, CHC, is about to launch its latest collection called Dawn Dusk. Through it all, Chelli wrestles with how to honor Megan’s legacy, and the weight of running a business, while remaining an artist at heart. Eventually, Chelli must reconcile these things with the future of her brand. Chelli’s search for healing and her creative voice is poignant and relevant for anyone who's experienced loss. Woven with painterly visuals of the sun rising and setting, Dawn Dusk intimately captures an artist’s journey through grief and search for purpose.
Direct Link for the “Dawn Dusk” trailer: https://youtu.be/R3zUbI9vZ9c
“When we started filming Dawn Dusk, we originally thought we were making a short ‘maker’ documentary about Chelli’s work, the art of leather bag design, and creation. We’ll never forget that first coffee meeting with Chelli. We asked her how she got her start as a designer and she unexpectedly answered with the story of her sister’s murder and her journey to forgiveness,” said Jason Gerber, director. This was the “why” of Chelli’s story rather than the how.
“We weren’t sure how to proceed other than to start filming. We began filming with Chelli; suddenly we found ourselves as a witness to someone's grief who was expressing it as an artist. We realized that we were seeing connections in Chelli’s story that Chelli didn’t see herself at the time. We were seeing that she was outpouring her creativity as an artist from that place of grief, but hope was breaking through. Her art was a reflection of a light in the darkness, themes of beauty and hope surfacing through this really intense, sickening loss and grief,” Blue Gerber, director.
“We were drawing the connections between those two things, and realized that the reason that she would go to watch these sunrises and sunsets was because she was grieving, that the inspiration for her work and her art was coming from this place of healing and wanting to honor her sister,” said Jason Gerber, director.
"We invited her to process it on camera and began asking her what was going on when she went to watch these sunrises and sunsets during a time when everything was so dark. That’s when we began uncovering the deeper story and the heart of Dawn Dusk, the film, came to life," said Blue Gerber, director.
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Filming took place primarily between 2016 and 2019 during which Blue & Jason captured over 80 hours of footage. Chelli was incredibly open with Blue & Jason. She allowed them access to vulnerable parts of her life, from personal to professional. In Fall 2018, Blue & Jason followed Chelli as she took a 3 month sabbatical in Florence, Italy where she participated in an advanced leather bag design class at the prestigious leather school Scuola del Cuoio. It was here that they witnessed the birth of a new chapter in Chelli’s life, the catalyst for an epiphany that took Chelli in a surprising, unexpected direction.
To bring the project together in a cohesive manner, Blue & Jason put together a talented team of filmmakers. In 2020, during the height of the pandemic lockdown, Blue & Jason brought on their editor and co-producer Meredith Mantik. In the fall of 2022, they brought on Silas Hite to compose the score for the film. Blue & Jason were inspired by the music Silas had written for “Chef’s Table” and knew he would be a great fit for the film. William McGuigan and his team at Gypsy Sound brought the film’s soundscape to life. Colorist, Clark Griffiths, joined the team to give the film a distinct look. Finally, in May 2023 Blue & Jason brought on college friend, Tayler Culligan, to design the title, give a look to the text graphics throughout the film, as well as to create a number of other graphic assets for the film.
Dawn Dusk is a story of choosing forgiveness in an impossible situation, and what forgiveness means for the person giving it. Forgiveness is undeserving. Chelli says in the film that it was her fear, that by forgiving, she was saying that what he did was okay. But she realized that instead it was declaring “what you did is not okay, but I'm still going to live my life.” This darkness is not going to repeat the cycle of violence and revenge. This darkness will not rule her life forever. At the end of the film Chelli’s life is led by light instead. Hopefully Dawn Dusk will leave audiences looking for their own “pink in the sky.”
To bring the project together in a cohesive manner, Blue & Jason put together a talented team of filmmakers. In 2020, during the height of the pandemic lockdown, Blue & Jason brought on their editor and co-producer Meredith Mantik. In the fall of 2022, they brought on Silas Hite to compose the score for the film. Blue & Jason were inspired by the music Silas had written for “Chef’s Table” and knew he would be a great fit for the film. William McGuigan and his team at Gypsy Sound brought the film’s soundscape to life. Colorist, Clark Griffiths, joined the team to give the film a distinct look. Finally, in May 2023 Blue & Jason brought on college friend, Tayler Culligan, to design the title, give a look to the text graphics throughout the film, as well as to create a number of other graphic assets for the film.
Dawn Dusk is a story of choosing forgiveness in an impossible situation, and what forgiveness means for the person giving it. Forgiveness is undeserving. Chelli says in the film that it was her fear, that by forgiving, she was saying that what he did was okay. But she realized that instead it was declaring “what you did is not okay, but I'm still going to live my life.” This darkness is not going to repeat the cycle of violence and revenge. This darkness will not rule her life forever. At the end of the film Chelli’s life is led by light instead. Hopefully Dawn Dusk will leave audiences looking for their own “pink in the sky.”
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Director Jason Gerber Director Blue Gerber
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