Chely Wright’s Personal Journey Documented in Upcoming Film

Chely Wright's coming out as a lesbian was one of the most talked-about stories in country music for 2010. The decision to go public with her sexual identity was one the country star did not take lightly. Now, her lengthy -- and sometimes painful -- journey is being chronicled in a documentary, 'Wish Me Away,' by award-winning filmmakers Bobbie Birleffi and Beverly Kopf.

"We were introduced to Chely through our network and connections around our previous documentary, 'Be Real: Stories From Queer America,' which aired on LOGO," Bobbie explains to AfterEllen.com. "The timing was right. We were looking for a new project and as we got to know Chely, she confided in us her thoughts about coming out. We were inspired and felt her story would be a perfect fit for our next film."

'Wish Me Away' is a film three years in the making, and chronicles the 'Single White Female' singer's personal challenges as she prepared to make her private story public. Their goal, they explain, is to include everyone who has been a part of Chely's journey to coming out, including ex-boyfriends, friends and the country music community.

"We wanted to include the Nashville response to Chely coming out in our film," Bobbie states. "That's a part of the story that you won't find in Chely's book or media interviews. We think you'll find the response illuminating."

The documentary also explores how her family, in the singer's hometown of Kansas City, Mo., dealt with Chely's unexpected announcement. "Chely's family is important to her, so of course they are important to the film," Bobbie continues. "By visiting her hometown in Kansas, we were able to capture Chely's close bonds with her father and sister Jennifer, as well as her angst about a complex and troubled relationship with her mother."

"The film captures the evolution of her family as they grow and change their perceptions of what it means to be gay," Beverly continues. "They speak for themselves honestly and they don't always agree."

Chely has not yet viewed the film, but plans to in the near future. "She's in such a different place in her life now that she knows that seeing the film will be emotional," Beverly explains. "She wants to get past the holidays, which makes perfect sense. She's happy. She's really doing it. She's doing what she said she would ... She is really becoming the activist and spokesperson she said she wanted to be. She is becoming an advocate and spokesperson for gay rights."

'Wish Me Away,' Bobbie and Beverly maintain, will be a surprise to even those who think they know Chely well. "Viewers will be surprised and amazed by Chely's vulnerability and bravery and willingness to show her pain," Bobbie says. "Chely is not a hard-edged person. She has a softness to her but also a strength that is captured in the film. It's not an edgy, dark film."

It's fitting for Chely to want to share her story, in hopes of helping others who might be struggling in a similar fashion. "I don't think that going through sh-- is mine and mine alone," Chely tells The Boot. "Everybody goes through it, I just never had. I never had a breakdown or breakthrough or whatever anybody wants to call it. I'd never experienced that before. I'd always been quite adept at managing and compartmentalizing any things that came my way that felt like that. You've got to do that. When you have a job like mine you don't have time to have a breakdown. And for the first time in my life, I found myself completely submissive to despair. It about killed me."

The filmmakers are hoping for a 2011 release. Meanwhile, Chely continues to promote her latest album, 'Lifted Off the Ground,' and her memoir, 'Like Me: Confessions of a Heartland Country Singer.' See her tour schedule here.