Peter Charney
Theatre & Film Director
This Means Goodnight
director | Peter Charney
writer & producer | Rachel Kinzler
featuring | Rachel Kinzler & Anna Rudegeair
director of photography & editor | Matthew Kyle Levine
associate producers | Angie Meller & Jennifer Tuell
sound | Shea Glasheen
lighting | Chaoming Xue
assistant camera | Victoria Astuto
composer | Michael Lepore
production designer | Sara Quinn
colorist | Jake White
The story follows two neighbors who lead parallel lives. Within the confines of their shoe-box apartment, their day to day struggles become bigger than themselves. Through their shared wall, they find solace within one another to help navigate the loneliness of life in the city.
Director's Statement
When Rachel first approached me about directing "This Means Goodnight," I was immediately on board. Her screenplay didn’t just bring back memories of my early post-college years in New York City—it felt like a page torn from my own life. She beautifully captured the essence of those formative years with a poignant, dreamlike quality—the long workdays and thin walls of the tiny shoebox bedrooms that somehow contained our entire world. It was easy to get lost in those small spaces, listening to music, writing in bed, and putting off simple tasks like finishing the laundry. Each of us, tucked away in our little cubbyholes, gazed out at the world, catching glimpses of the cars below or the neighbors across the street. We are a city of windows, each one a fragment of private life, collectively lighting up the skyline. Life in New York City is a mosaic of intimate moments, often shared with strangers, yet deeply personal. This film is our attempt to capture this feeling and share it with you.
For many of us, "This Means Goodnight" marks our first foray into professional filmmaking. Although newer to making films, we’re no strangers to storytelling, having begun our careers in theatre, both on and off-Broadway. Most of our cast and creative team attended college together, our paths intersecting briefly despite a few years' age difference. It’s funny how life has a way of bringing people back together at just the right time—as if the universe was always conspiring to reunite us for this project.
Our small but formidable team came together in October 2023 for a tightly scheduled 12-hour shoot. We rented a nearly empty apartment and transformed it into two distinct bedrooms, designed to appear as separate units within the same building. As I prepared to lead a film set for the first time, the weight of every decision was palpable. With limited time and budget, I knew every choice had to be intentional. Unlike theatre, where there’s room for evolution, film demands that everything come together perfectly in one single moment, with no margin for error. We had already spent weeks meticulously planning—discussing shot lists and aspect ratios for our split screen, creating Pinterest boards, and rehearsing the script. But once the day of the shoot arrived, everything became a beautiful blur of focused creativity.
I am deeply honored that Rachel entrusted me with bringing her story to life, and I am immensely proud of the collaborative effort that made this film a reality. Every time I watch the final cut—which I’ve now seen well over a hundred times—I am reminded of the unique contributions each team member made to this project. Unlike theatre, where all eventually fades into memory, this film preserves our collective efforts, capturing a moment in time that we are now honored to share with you.