Women's voice in the horror genre

It goes without saying that the horror film genre remains dominated by men in all areas – as in the wider film sector. Of the top 250 grossing films of 2017, 88% had no women directors, and 83% had no women writers (womenandhollywood.com, 2018). Though the horror genre is often overlooked in formal recognition ceremonies, the creative talent of women working in horror cinema cannot be ignored. The first and only woman to win an Academy Award for Best Director was Kathryn Bigelow in 2010, for her political thriller The Hurt Locker (which also won Best Picture). Bigelow also directed the western-vampire cult classic Near Dark in 1987. 

In recent years, there has been a surge in platforms devoted to showcasing women in horror cinema, whether that’s behind the camera, in front of it, or writing about the films: from the Women in Horror Film Festival in Georgia, U.S., to female-centric magazines like Suspira, to academic books written solely by women writers and critics, such as The Phantasmagorical Cinema of Jean Rollin (Spectacular Optical, 2017). While such platforms are most welcome, and I would argue necessary, there is a definite uncomfortable aspect to—it could be argued—segmenting the work women contribute to horror, or compressing and containing it within a single month of the year, as with the annual women in horror month each February.

There shouldn’t need to be a single month championing women in horror. Women filmmakers should be celebrated, acknowledged and discussed as an integrated part of cultural discourse every single day—not once a year. Similarly, we shouldn’t need festivals, publications and other outlets designed specifically to showcase the talents of women, or any other minority group. Yet, we do. Focused film platforms supporting women in horror do of course provide visibility, further opportunities, and advocate equal opportunities in the wider film industry, but they should be used as a foundation to overcome the systemic gender imbalance in the film industry, to encourage inclusivity across all filmmaking outlets. Queen’s Film Theatre (QFT) is an example of this, showcasing independent filmmakers and new talent on a regular basis.

Boasting a curated programme of classic and contemporary cinema, chosen by and for cinephiles, QFT has since 1968 been a cultural hub dedicated to the art of filmmaking. Each year, on average, 70% of films screened are exclusive to QFT, 30% of which are in a foreign language. This provides an important platform for films that would otherwise not receive a theatrical release in Northern Ireland, and further enriches the cultural diversity of the city of Belfast. On top of QFT’s focused film programme is a range of complementary events and activities, often which involve inviting leading filmmakers to talk about their work.

Aislinn Clarke’s The Devil’s Doorway (2018) is very much a product of her relationship with Queen’s University Belfast, and QFT in particular. The first woman in her family to attend university, she studied the Irish language before her love for film took her to New York to study screenwriting. Returning to her beloved Belfast, and of course Queen’s, she continued her to hone her craft and is now a lecturer in creative writing at Queen’s Seamus Heaney Centre. The Devil’s Doorway, co-written by Martin Brennan and Michael B Jackson, is her debut feature film, and the first horror film to be written and directed by a Northern Irish woman.

Set in Northern Ireland in the 1960s, The Devil’s Doorway follows a Vatican-endorsed investigation of a miracle by two priests: a statue of the Virgin Mary is weeping blood at a Catholic home for “immoral” women. The narrative is inspired by accounts of historical abuse in “Magdalene Laundries”, where women who were sex workers, pregnant out of wedlock, or suffering from mental illness were hidden away and sadistically treated by representatives of the Catholic Church. This timely tale weaves further supernatural layers throughout its powerful exploration of religious themes, packaged in a documentary “found footage” style that lends a chilling intimacy and fearlessness to the film. As Clarke herself said: 

“I would say that the QFT—as our only long-running arthouse cinema—has been an invaluable supporter of homegrown and developing talent. It has long been the home of the local short film block in the Belfast Festival. I was one of the mentors on the BBC NI Two Minute Masterpiece scheme for emerging female filmmakers and it too was housed in the QFT, before those short films were broadcast on TV. As an independent theatre, the QFT is able to take risks in programming—in fact, it is obliged to—and it is that which allows it to take risks on local filmmakers, new talents, and independent spirits. The opportunities to see indie films and to be seen as an indie film-maker are the things that make the QFT such a vital part of Northern Irish cultural life.”

It is this cultural milieu, specific to QFT, that helped to set in motion and shape Clarke’s place in horror cinema, allowing her, QFT, and the Northern Irish film industry to promote further opportunities for women horror filmmakers. The Devil’s Doorway has been selected for international distribution later this year, and an exclusive screening of this important film will take place at QFT on Friday 19 October. It will be followed by a Q&A session with Clarke and members of the cast and crew. We hope you join us in celebrating women in horror cinema, and staking the film’s cultural place in the genre.

Explore the full QFT50 programme here https://queensfilmtheatre.com/qft50