Don't Let Them In: Our Vampire Stories in the French Quarter

Streaming Media

Document Type

Video

Publication Date

5-2-2025

Abstract

My work explores our relationship with monsters, specifically vampires, in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana. Monsters have existed for as long as we have existed. They’re here because we’re here. We created monsters to embody our fears, anxieties, and desires. They have evolved alongside us, treading on our heels and reminding us that we are never truly alone.

In New Orleans, these monsters have taken on new forms that shape the city’s tourism, media, and local identity. The city markets and sells the paranormal, even though their existence can still be debated.

Sela Ricketts is a visual artist currently located in Oxford, MS. She graduated from The University of Mississippi with a degree in IMC. She is now a graduate student at The University of Mississippi studying photography and folklore through the Center for the Study of Southern Culture. Her thesis, Don’t Let Them In: Our Vampire Stories in the French Quarter, examines our relationship with stories and the monsters we create specifically through vampires in the French Quarter of New Orleans. After graduation, she plans on pursuing a MFA in Documentary Expression.

Relational Format

image

Comments

SST 699 Documentary Workshop (Melanie Ho)

Sela Ricketts

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