Marvelous Creatures is a documentary about the myths, cultural constructs and psychological underpinnings of that which we call Monsters. The notion of monsters embody our deepest anxieties and vulnerabilities and have existed in human society from our earliest days. The artists and philosophers who are inspired by the history of monsters consider beasts, demons, freaks, and fiends as symbolic expressions of cultural unease that pervade a society and shape its collective behavior.
Production of the film began in the fall of 2024, with interviews of Stephen Asma, Columbia College professor of Philosophy, who has written and spoken widely on the history of monsters, Riva Lehrer, a renown Chicago artist is best known for representations of people whose physical embodiment, sexuality, or gender identity have long been stigmatized and Jeffrey Cohen, who wrote one of the formative essays on Monster Theory. More interviews and explorations of monsters will be happening soon. The film is slated for completion in 2026.