As you may know, February is "Women in
Horror" month. To celebrate, PromoteHorror.com asked
women from different professions if they would like to answer some questions
about being a "Woman in Horror." One of the women, who were kind
enough to answer our questions, was the terrific writer/director Emilie Flory. Lets see what she said about being
a “Woman in Horror”…
-When
did you first become a horror fan?
I
realized I was a horror fan at age 7, when Jaws came out…
I
already had a thing for scary books, cartoons and games. Horror
represented something very exciting to me. I lived in Saint-Tropez in a
rich and sunny environment as pleasant as it was superficial. In this
environment, horror was a form of escapism for me, a subversive
force. I was irresistibly drawn to it: When you’re scared, you feel
more alive. You have to find the courage to face this state
of mind where you feel almost like you’re going to die. It’s horrible… But
once the fear is gone, you feel just great. When Jaws came out and I saw
the posters outside the Renaissance movie theater in Saint-Tropez, it
was quite a shock. There was a catch line that said, “She was the
first…” and this tiny figure of a naked woman swimming above a
gigantic shark!
I lived in a seaside resort… I fantasized all summer
about what the poster promised because, of
course, I wasn’t allowed to see the movie, I was too young!
-Was
there a specific moment when you realized that you wanted to go from being a
fan of horror to a woman who contributes to the genre, or did it just kind of
happen naturally?
That’s
an excellent question, Promote. Thanks for asking. Actually, as a
result of the exposure I have to bring to my movie Trauma
Dolls, I
realize that I contribute directly to promoting
the horror genre: I’m plugging the world of horror in
its entirety as well as the world of women in horror. Certain
people in my circle are surprised and try to figure out where I
got my liking for horror. This allows me to give them
information concerning a world and realities they are
totally clueless about.
We
see some remarkable personalities militating for the
horror genre on Twitter. Women are very active in that domain;
I’m delighted to see this. There is a
spectacular synergy, very tight bonds that are created in the
horror community. It’s a world where there exists strong values, extraordinary
friendships and mutual aide you don’t see anywhere else. I’m
extremely happy to belong to this world.
-What
does having a "Women in Horror" month mean to you?
It’s essential to have a month dedicated to women in the world of
horror: Even if highlighting them only lasts a month, it allows
everyone to become aware that, in this domain, women are bankable.
They are an amazing strike force to be reckoned with. From
the very beginning women have contributed to the emergence of the horror genre,
especially thanks to scream queens which also had for a perverse
effect to blur the image and the role of women in horror. Today women
screenwriters, directors and producers showcase their talents; they are in
every department and they are just as successful as men are.
-Is
there a woman in horror who you consider a role model?
Denise
Gossett is a model for me. She has all my admiration. What she did for the
horror genre with Shriekfest is outstanding.
Shriekfest
is a world famous, medium sized festival where each person
selected becomes a full member of the family. Its selection is rigorous
and the quality exceptional.
Denise
fights for independent movies. She is uncompromising on this point.
It’s really important so that
things change and genuine artists can emerge.
There is also a “film music” selection at Shriekfest; it’s
an innovating festival on many points. Denise does a lot for artists.
She’s extra ordinary on a professional and human level. I would like
to add that she’s a wonderful actress and a magnificent woman.
-How
do you think the role of women in horror has changed over the years?
If we consider
only the change that has come about with respect to actresses
and the roles they are offered, things have changed
tremendously. Woman’s status in horror movies has evolved at the same time
as her status in western countries has. Women are no longer just
pretty faces who scream while waiting to be saved. They act, attack
their aggressors and even save their lovers. Sometimes, I even find it’sex aggerated by
making them excessively mannish. I like women being strong but I find
that if their strength hides their vulnerability and their sex appeal,
we lose a great deal of what makes up the magic of the horror genre. Starry
Eyes is
a great success because it doesn’t forget that. Just like Crawl or Die whose heroine is
a soldier. And I love Nurse 3Dbecause, thanks to exceptional acting,
Paz de la Huerta proves that you can scare, thrill and
move people by playing an unfortunate psychopath with an outrageously explosive
sexuality!
-What
do you think the future holds for women in horror?
The future is promising for women in horror but also for those in
genre films in general, in action and sci-fi movies. Director Kathryn Bigelow,
whom I personally consider as a genre director, brought about
a real tour de force by making
it in Hollywood as she did. Thanks to her, everything has become possible
for women, especially for women who are in genre films: We see marvelous
actresses like Maria Olsen, Alexandra Essoe and Nicole Alonso come into
their own, we see young directors like Jessica Cameron bring down
mountains and personalities like Jennifer Blanc-Biehn fight relentlessly
to impose projects she believes in. All of that is very positive.
Very constructive.
-Being
that this is PromoteHorror.com, please feel free to plug your current/next
horror project.
Since
my next project is in the writing stage, let me tell you
about my horror movie project, my team and I are looking for
producers and investors: Trauma Dolls is a slasher that takes place in
the worlds of fashion and neuroscience. The movie treats the question of
good and evil and the chances of finding love and
light again even if it seems hopeless! The movie’s screenplay,
which made it to the semi-finals in Shriekfest, made the
finals in the Frightnight Film Festival (Fandom Fest) and
the presentation trailer, a finalist at the HollyShorts Film
Festival, was shown at the Chinese Theaters. We have a press
kit, which includes a budget, available for people who are
interested.
The Trauma
Dolls’ Trailer
was an official selection at the Holly-Shorts film festival 2014:
Thank you so much, Promote, for your invitation to take
part in this month of horror. Thanks as well for the wonderful
reviews, previews and interviews you treat us to, they
all contribute to help genre movies move forward.
Emilie
Flory was born in Paris on July 2, 1970. An admiral’s daughter, she spent her
childhood in Saint-Tropez where she took her first acting classes and won the
Queffelec Prize for best poem about the sea.
She
studied at art school, then joined Jean Périmony’s drama school. A great fan of
genre movies, her first screenplay was a short fantasy film for photographer
Jean Christophe Polien.
She
wrote for the Horror Show column in the French movie magazine L’Ecran
Fantastique.
She
worked in the comic book business for two years before returning to the
theater. In 2005, she directed a series of sexy, funny TV sketches that
inspired her dark comedy screenplay Golden Bodies – Fitness is Business two years
later.
Tariel
Méliava, director of photography on Tzameti13 (Grand Jury Prize:
World Cinema Dramatic at Sundance film festival in 2006) helped her with her
projects.
In
2009, Emilie Flory wrote and directed Process 5, a futuristic short
movie, with Tariel Méliava as DP. It was screened at the HollyShorts Film
Festival in Los Angeles. Emilie Flory currently has a horror film project in
development based on a screenplay she wrote. And she has started writing a
sci-fi screenplay. (bio from her website)
For
more information about Emilie Flory, please visit:
Additional
interviews:
We thank Emilie Flory for taking the time to answer our questions, but
more importantly for her contribution to horror!
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