Described as both a genius and an misanthrope, Stephin Merritt's reputation as an indie rock curmudgeon interplays with his lauded reputation as the "Cole Porter of independent music". Shot over a period of 10 years, "Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields" takes us inside the unusual world of Stephin Merritt, focusing on his relationship with his longtime bandmate and manager, Claudia Gonson. It traces a 20-year collaboration that has yielded one of the most varied and creative bodies of work in the American Song Book. Once described as 'Fleetwood Mac without the sex and drugs,' Stephin and Claudia, along with the other members of the Magnetic Fields, face a professional and personal challenge when Stephin moves to Los Angeles from their native New York.