Staying

Staying

Directed by Brendan Cleak

Staying follows one woman’s passage through suicidal ideation, despair, and the long climb back toward herself, unraveling the shame, silence, and hidden wounds she once believed made her unworthy of light. Through intimate reflection and unflinching honesty, it traces the fragile thread of survival-illuminated by small acts of grace and the extraordinary people who helped stitch her back together.

What emerges is both a personal reckoning and a universal offering: a hand extended through the darkness to anyone who feels unseen, too heavy, or too far gone. In transforming vulnerability into connection, the film becomes a quiet beacon-a reminder that even in our most private suffering, we are never truly alone.

Director Statement

Early in production, Kelly and I made the decision to film a series of short vignettes to pair with her interview segments. In order to provide a more optimistic and nuanced look at her healing journey, and more broadly, the conversation around mental health awareness.

As a filmmaker, I believe that we are all collectively struggling to meet the trauma of the current moment, and that empathy is our most effective tool for triumphing over hate, cruelty and injustice. My ultimate goal with this film is to share an positive and uplifting message about healing, vulnerability and the difficult path to rediscovery, and hopefully provide a safe space for others to reflect on their own personal experiences.

Director Biography

Brendan Cleak is an award-winning independent filmmaker based in San Diego, California. His films explore various aspects of the human condition, and often utilize unconventional camera and narrative techniques to bring the stories to life.

In 2018 he co-founded One Apparatus Productions, a boutique film studio born from the idea that the human eye interface becomes part of the camera itself, informed by our most human traits: empathy, critical thought and a willingness to love unconditionally.

One Apparatus is designed to support small scale independent productions, specializing in naturalistic documentaries, experimental filmmaking and films that are unafraid to challenge conventional narrative structures.

Plays in

Mind. Body. Balance. – Doc Block 2