Dies Irae, Desirée

Dies Irae, Desirée explores cults, fanaticism, and how the internet fosters an emotional vacuum where extremists can plant, nourish and accelerate fringe belief systems.

The narrative unfolds in the fictional world of “New Elyrhans,” a UFO cult led by charismatic YouTube streamer Desirée who claims to communicate with a cosmic emissary from the distant solar system of Elyrha. Her eclectic band of followers known as “The Kinship” includes “Cassie,” a cyberpunk toting twenty-something, “Jack Noel,” a Silicon-Valley mogul, “Astrid,” a fragile, self-effacing follower and “Tadd,” an underachieving college dropout. As the group prepares for their promised ascension, they grapple with hope, faith, disillusionment, and public scorn.