Wish Me Away

Trailer Link: http://www.wishmeawaydoc.com/

USA, 2011
Directors: Bobbie Birleffi, Beverly Kopf
Cinematographer: Paul Mailman
Editor: Lisa Palattella
Composer: Chely Wright
Cast: Chely Wright, Howard Bragman, Jennifer Archer
Running Time: 96 minutes

Wish Me Away is an intimate look at Chely Wright, the first country music star to announce publicly she is gay. Winner of multiple music awards, Wright experienced real fame with hits like “Single White Female” and “Shut Up and Drive” while at the same time struggling with her sexuality and the paralyzing fear of coming out. Through intimate interviews with Wright, her family, management team and key players in Nashville, this touching portrayal reveals how she thoughtfully prepared to reveal her secret as well as readied herself for the repercussions of her announcement in the world of country music.

Over a two-year period, award-winning filmmakers Bobbie Birleffi and Beverly Kopf follow Wright’s struggle and her preparations for an album and a book (Like Me) that would finally reveal her story and make country music history. After a lifetime of hiding, Wright shatters cultural and religious stereotypes within Nashville, her conservative heartland family and, what is most important, herself.

Wish Me Away expertly chronicles the aftermath of her decision in Nashville, her hometown and within the LGBT community. In one of the final scenes of the film, we see Wright performing before an LGBT audience of more than 100,000, with the U.S. Capitol blazing in the background, and feel both the excitement and uncertainty of Wright’s future.

The Los Angeles Film Festival honored the film with their prestigious Documentary Award for “its honesty, humor and potential to change minds and even save lives.”