The Keeper
A lonely widow yearning for connection, meets a collector of art at a speed dating event. What they are looking for in each other is vastly different.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Bob Celli
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you! I believe stories find you, not the other way around. While I had a few project ideas in the mix, this idea bubbled to the surface quickly. The initial idea for The Keeper came to me from listening to my wife recount one of her crazy dreams. After I wrote the script, I had my wife, who is also my producing partner, read it. She put the script down and said “This taps into too many of my fears. I’m not sure I can help you produce this.” The next day she said, “I keep thinking about that script.” The journey began.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
The Keeper will keep you guessing as you try to assess the situation Robert and Celeste find themselves in. Is it a Romance? Comedy? Thriller? The film is very intimate and personal. It will take you on a ride in more than one direction.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Living in a hectic world we all can lose sight of how important real personal connections can be. What happens when two people, who are looking for two different things, meet? Does the longing for these connections make us take more risks? At what cost?
We all have secrets of some sort. How well do you really know the person you may be living with? The reality is that we live in a world where some of our most personal moments are “Shared” with “Friends”. We are often much more captivated by flashing notifications on our mobile phones than what we are actually living moments in real time.
The Keeper BTS with Actor/Writer/Director/Producer Bob Celli at center
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The director Alan Parker once said, "You make three films. One when you write it, one when you shoot it and one when you cut it together in the editing. With luck they are not too dissimilar from one another.” I believe this to my core.
For me The Keeper script idea came very quickly and completely. This is not to say that once on set there weren’t things that got scrapped because they just didn’t work in the moment. But, that is the beauty and the part I love about being on set. Those moments when magic happens and those moments where you need to shift gears and think on your feet to make a scene work.
Also, I don’t usually both act in and direct a film but it just felt right this time. I did have someone else in mind for the role of Robert, but it would have been a completely different film. In the end I believed my facial features would add a darker underlying feel to the character. Plus, the character is imbued with a lot of how I see things, the ending not withstanding. I knew exactly what I wanted him to be and what I wanted overall look of the film to be. The script and the final cut of the film are very similar. I knew what ride I wanted the audience to take, and even wrote and shot three different endings because I wanted the option to choose which ending worked best in the edit.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Well, we all know that film and art in general elicit completely subjective opinions, but the response has been overwhelming to say the least. The feedback from festival audiences has been the most rewarding part of this journey. Before the pandemic hit and many festivals went virtual, it was wonderful to sit in a dark theater and listen to audience reactions as they took the roller coaster ride I hoped they would take.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Yes and no. Over time you come to the realization that you will never make everyone happy, especially your critics, so stay true to the story you want to tell. Stay true to your vision. It will find a home and it will find an audience to resonate with.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
To have your work on a respected platform like We Are Moving Stories means that your project gets seen by a wider audience of creatives than would normally see it. There also exists the potential for community growth and future collaborations. It’s all good!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
At this point we are still in our festival run, which for us usually means two years. We will be looking to get distribution once we have completed the festival circuit. In the mean time, if there are any festival directors that feel our film would be a fit for their festivals I encourage them to just reach out to me.
As always, financing is the bane of any artist’s existence. We, as well as most creatives are always looking for producers who may be willing to come aboard and help us continue to tell stories that inspire and entertain.
The Keeper
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
As with any project, I want the audience to come in, take a journey, and to maybe have their hearts opened and to feel something…love, loss, laughter, pride. I also hope the film stays with them. It has always been my test of a good film, does it stay with me after I leave the theater?
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Is the longing for human contact and the choices we make to satisfy our desires worth the potential cost?
Would you like to add anything else?
Just a big thank you to you and all lovers and supporters of the arts for helping to bring independent film to a wider audience and especially now during these challenging times.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
We, Laura Delano my wife and partner at DelanoCelli Productions and I, are currently working on honing three short scripts that will span comedy, thriller, and historical drama respectively .
We are also working on a feature script about a career soldier, who has lost faith in the military and struggles with a ghost from his past. While fighting his own demons he navigates a troubled marriage and complex relationships, both at home and while on his tours of duty. He attempts to save a young Arab girl from the cruelties of war to make a difference in a world that no longer makes sense to him.
I can also be seen in the upcoming season premiere of FBI: Most Wanted.
Interview: August 2021
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
The Keeper
Length:
13:54
Writer/Director
BOB CELLI has Written and Directed four short short films, Going Home, Figs For Italo, Brooklyn In July, and the Keeper. He is also is working on a full length feature entitled Amira about a soldier as he attempts to save a young Arab girl from the cruelties of war.
Producer
LAURA DELANO and BOB CELLI formed DelanoCelli Productions in 1995. Since 2015 DelanoCelli Productions has produced three short films, Figs for Italo, Brooklyn in July, and The Keeper. Delano and Celli have been fortunate to enjoy great collaborations with talented casts, crews, and production teams.
Key cast:
Betsy Adkins Johnson - Celeste, Bob Celli - Robert, Nicole Roberts - Ms. Maize, Stacie Capone - Lenore, Cristina Doikos - Fala, Max Brand - Boris, Aksel Daye - Sasha, Craig Colasanti - The Bartender
Looking for:
film festival directors, distributors, producers
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/bob.celli
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/delanocelli/
Hashtags used:
#delanocelliproductions #thekeepershortfilm #awardwinningshortfilm #indiefilmmaker #shortfilm
More info:
http://delanocelli.com/the-keeper.html
Where can I watch it?
South Dakota Film Festival/Aberdeen, SD - September 16 - 25th, 2021 (Virtual)
Shawna Shea Film Festival/Uxbridge, MA - September 21 – 25, 2021 (Live Screening)
World Cinema Antwerp Belgium Film Festival/Antwerp, Belgium - October 2nd -9th, 2021 (Virtual)
Texas San Angelo Revolution Film Festival/San Angelo, TX - October 14th - 16th, 2021 (Live Screening)
Dates added as they are received. For more see http://delanocelli.com/the-keeper-2021-festival-dates.html