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Staying away from Cthulhu rather than Embracing the Cthulhucene: Representations of Relationships between the Human and the Non-Human in Netflix’s The Sea Beast
Linköping University, Department of Science and Technology, Media and Information Technology. Linköping University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Linköping University, Centre for Climate Science and Policy Research, CSPR. (Graphic Design and Communication)ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7235-2967
Linköping University, Department of Culture and Society, Division of Culture, Society, Design and Media. Linköping University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences. (COMPASS Hub)ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0496-3093
2024 (English)In: Aquatic Monsters and Liminal Creatures / [ed] Ryan Denson, 2024Conference paper, Oral presentation with published abstract (Other (popular science, discussion, etc.))
Abstract [en]

This paper will analyse the ways in which water landscapes and water-borne creatures are represented in Netflix’s film The Sea Beast (2022). First, the film addresses unsustainable use of the sea resources, such as hunting and poaching. However, instead of portraying actual marine species, the film shows enormous fantastic monsters, suggesting that the sea is a liminal space full of dangerous creatures. We are going to argue that the monsters have been used to embody the nonhuman world and the concept of ‘nature’ as something both beautiful and dangerous. Second, we are going to demonstrate that the visual aesthetics and imaginative landscapes of the Sea Beast world are a recycling project, as they are largely indebted to Olaus Magnus’s famous Carta marina created in the sixteenth century. In addition, the film draws inspiration from Lovecraft’s ideas and the Cthulhu aesthetics. We will consolidate these two themes by problematising the film’s approach to human explorations of the water landscapes. Namely, we will examine the ways human-nonhuman relations are portrayed, with nonhumans shown as needing to earn humans’ compassion. While monsters remain in focus, the film does not encourage care for other nonhuman inhabitants and parts of the marine ecosystem. Employing Donna Haraway’s concept of Cthulhucene, we argue that the film does not provide a feasible solution for humans and nonhumans sharing the same water environment. By encouraging humans to stay away from the sea for the fear of ‘Cthulhu’, the film reinforces the image of the sea as a liminal space. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2024.
National Category
Cultural Studies Humanities and the Arts History
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-205876OAI: oai:DiVA.org:liu-205876DiVA, id: diva2:1882794
Conference
Imaginative Landscapes and Otherworlds: The Liminality of Water and Aqueous Realms
Available from: 2024-07-07 Created: 2024-07-07 Last updated: 2024-09-20Bibliographically approved

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Fälton, EmelieIgnatova, Polina

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Fälton, EmelieIgnatova, Polina
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Media and Information TechnologyFaculty of Arts and SciencesCentre for Climate Science and Policy Research, CSPRDivision of Culture, Society, Design and Media
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