“You know, if you want to be a Catholic priest, you might make a trip to Notre Dame or something like that. But if you dream of being a bohemian weirdo, then your mecca is the Chelsea Hotel.” --Ethan Hawke, 2002

 

An example of the future creative inspiration the hotel would create is realised in Ethan Hawke’s directorial debut film Chelsea Walls (2001). The film documents a group of artists who reside in the hotel, similar to Chelsea Girls; it depicts the creativity, chaos and even loneliness through a disconnected and non-linear narrative, and uses low budget cameras to create an intimate environment.

 

Hawke had lived in the hotel himself at different points in his life, giving him a personal vision of how to represent the film. He believed the mystique of the hotel would never disappear, artists would always be drawn to it.

 

The introspective art film that is Chelsea Walls, is a poetic portrayal of people, less focused on the plot and more on the atmosphere and existential themes. It shows loneliness and the feeling of being stuck, suggesting that the hotel isn’t as free and creative as it used to be.

The film has similarities to Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise trilogy, as the dialogue contains contemplative and poetic exchanges.