‘Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel’ Trailer: An Inside Look At A Mythical Building & Its Iconic Inhabitants

One of the most iconic buildings in America, the Chelsea Hotel, has quite a history. Located in Manhattan, New York City, considering its association with a myriad of renowned and controversial artistic and historical figures. A proper portrait doc about the legendary hotel has never been made until now. Distributed by Magnolia Pictures and released this summer, “Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel” details the building’s storied history in vivid detail, and the first trailer is now available to view online.

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Of notable interest on a personal note, as stated in the film’s synopsis below, the Chelsea, while under renovation in the 1960s, was home to legendary artist Andy Warhol and his “superstars,” including the likes of Edie Sedgwick, Velvet Underground chanteuse Nico, and Louis Waldron. Warhol and director Paul Morrissey even made a film set in the Chelsea Hotel, titled “Chelsea Girls,” in 1966 (also the name of a famous Nico album from 1967). It’s not the first documentary made about this hotel either, as filmmaker Abel Ferrara did a docu-fiction portrait of the Chelsea and its inhabitants named “Chelsea n the Rocks” in 2008, starring famous friends like Gaby Hoffmann, Dennis Hopper, Robert Crumb, and more. For a look into the stories of them and other tenants, background into the hotel itself, and everything in-between, “Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel” should be worth a watch.

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Here’s the official 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, has recently reopened after extensive renovations, which are now almost complete. Dozens of long-term residents, many in their later years, have lived amidst the scaffolding and constant construction for close to a decade. Against this chaotic backdrop, DREAMING WALLS takes us through the hotel’s storied halls, exploring its living body and the bohemian origins that contributed to its mythical stature. Its residents and the walls themselves now face a turning point in their common history.

Directed by Amélie van Elmbt and Maya Duverdier, and notably, executive produced by Martin Scorsese and Lori Cheatle, “Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel” releases simultaneously in theaters and on-demand on July 8th. Watch the new trailer below.