In the Realms of the Unreal

The Mystery of Henry Darger

A documentary portrait of a reclusive artist whose vast, strange inner world remained hidden until after his death, exploring isolation, creativity, and the mystery of human meaning-making.

In the Realms of the Unreal is a documentary about the reclusive Chicago-based artist Henry Darger. Henry Darger was so reclusive that when he died his neighbors were surprised to find a 15,145-page manuscript along with hundreds of paintings depicting The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glodeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Cased by the Child Slave Rebellion.