"Monster in a Dress should be required viewing for anyone with a beating heart." - Heidi Pitlor, Editor, The Best American Short Stories | “Moving…brilliant animation and story…made us laugh and cry." - Oscar winner, Chris Cooper & HBO’s The Sopranos, Marianne Leone | "Inventive and very quirky," - Thomas Dolby, musician, producer, composer | "Monster in a Dress is a work of bravery and emotional truth. " - Helen Elaine Lee, best selling author of Pomegranate.
LGBTQ Identity • Immigration • Intergenerational Trauma • Arab-American Identity
Date of Completion: 2024 | Run Time: 27 minutes | Language: English | Captions: Open Caption | Includes: Transcript | Created & Directed: Annie Weatherwax | Music Composer: Debra Barsha
MONSTER IN A DRESS is a semi-autobiographical story about gender and identity. The title refers to how the artist and author Annie Weatherwax felt every time she had to wear a dress. The story reimagines her relationship with her immigrant family from Lebanon, it examines the trials and tribulations of intergenerational trauma and healing when a long buried family secret is brought to light and it pays homage to her grandmother, a powerful matriarch who saved her.
Annie writes: “Kids are resilient, but it’s difficult for some not to internalize the monstrous way the world sees them. I was one of those kids. If “Monster in a Dress” can ease the struggle for just one person, it will have served its purpose.”
Heidi Pitlor, Editor, The Best American Short Stories
"Monster in a Dress should be required viewing for anyone with a beating heart."
Oscar winner, Chris Cooper & HBO’s The Sopranos, Marianne Leone
“Moving…brilliant animation and story…made us laugh and cry."
Thomas Dolby, Musician, Producer, Composer
"Inventive and very quirky,"
Helen Elaine Lee, best selling author of Pomegranate
"Monster in a Dress is a work of bravery and emotional truth."