THE FILMMAKER
As a Director and Photojournalist, I always look for ways to see and feel more clearly through still or moving images. My work connects personal stories to universal themes. After publishing with National Geographic, Paris Match, ELLE magazine and other leading publications, I learned the power of a single image — but eventually felt the urge to go deeper.
I longed for the people I photographed to come to life. I wanted to hear their voices and share their emotions with viewers. Filmmaking was a natural step. I like working in both mediums. Life imitates fiction, and fiction explores our lives. The intimacy I build with my subjects shapes everything — how I frame a shot, what lens I choose, and when to step closer or step back. Documentary allows me to expand a single image into a moving story. The two are inseparable.
My latest film, Eternal Sky (Apple TV, Amazon Prime), follows the creation of a revolutionary telescope in the Atacama Desert. Before that, Inside My Heart, an award-winning portrait of refugee families, was shown worldwide. I’m now working on my first fiction film, Nirvana Is Coming — a Buddhist comedy inspired by my years in the Himalayas and love for Tibetan culture.
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ETERNAL SKY
A Film by Debra Kellner
“A beautiful homage to visionary thinkers and the human quest to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos.” — Brian Greene
How did time begin? Humanity has asked this question since the dawn of time. Six years in the making and often filmed above 5,000 meters with oxygen masks, Eternal Sky spans three continents to follow one of the most ambitious scientific quests of our time.
Did the Big Bang happen, or did something else occur? This film follows some of the world's leading astrophysicists as they seek to unravel the origins of time. Set against the remote Andes in the Chilean Atacama desert, the film tells an intimate story behind one of science's most competitive races: the hunt for the origins of our cosmos. In a unique, lyrical parallel, the film follows the lives of several Atacameno elders who bring an original vision of the cosmos, which offers viewers a mysterious, magical, and philosophical perspective. The coexistence between scientists and the local Atacameno culture is an encounter between ancient wisdom and modern science.
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Contact us here or email: debra.kellner@gmail.comETERNAL SKY : BEHIND THE SCENES
INSIDE MY HEART
A Film by Debra Kellner
At the peak of the refugee and migrant crisis, three families are forced to flee war-torn Syria and Afghanistan, seeking safe harbor on foreign shores. In the wake of witnessing unthinkable atrocities and having the lives they’ve known wrested away, these people – mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters – exhibit remarkable resilience as they fight for survival.
The fly-on-the-wall techniques utilized in the film allow us to witness the families’ frustrations over the course of three years and better understand the hopes they have for their children. Demonstrating the same compassionate eye exhibited in her celebrated photography, director Debra Kellner delivers a vital reminder about the families and individuals who have been swept up in a global crisis that has seen more than 68 million people driven from their homes.
Inside My Heart – produced by Frank Giustra, Serge Lalou and Richard Copans – was supported by The Giustra Foundation with the aim of bridging the distance between those living comfortably in their country of choice and those forced to flee their homes in search of peace and stability. It serves as a reminder to open our hearts to our global neighbor’s.
Field Reflections While Filming Inside My Heart
When we were filming Inside My Heart I found myself deeply immersed in the stories we were capturing. The moments behind the scenes were as meaningful as what we filmed—full of challenges, but also incredible connections. It brought a depth and authenticity to the film that can only come from truly being present in the field.
