[WiHM] Interview with HUS Co-EiC Violet Burns

Tell us a little bit about yourself! What is your role in the horror community?

Hi, I’m Violet! I’m a sometimes scare actor and the Co-EiC of Hear us Scream. Although I’m much more comfortable in an editorial role, I’m slowly but surely sending more of my own writing into the horror-verse. I particularly enjoy championing under-seen found footage gems and sticking it to the patriarchy. 

What was the first thing you encountered that made you fall in love with horror?

My relationship with horror has evolved dramatically in the last six to seven years. As a highly sensitive, anxious person with a hyperactive imagination, it didn’t always feel like the genre for me. I’d go as far as to say I had a significant phobia of watching horror films for most of my life— that is, until The Last Exorcism (2010) opened my eyes to the endless psychological possibilities of found footage. 

What does the horror community mean to you? 

As a neurodivergent person with a fun variety of mental illnesses, I’ve found the horror community to be extremely welcoming and supportive. While there are exceptions, I’ve found many genre fans to be uniquely open about their struggles with mental health, which has allowed me to feel more comfortable sharing my own. In particular, our little Hear Us Scream community is one of the most supportive, affirming, loving spaces I’ve ever encountered. I’m so proud to work with this group of brilliant weirdos who always make time to help each other out. 

Who are your favourite women in horror?

I’ll be eternally grateful to Cat Benstead, the brilliant mind behind Hear Us Scream, for taking a chance on a nerdy little weirdo who reached out of the ether. I still can’t believe I’ve been lucky enough to come along for the ride! Cat is one of my dearest friends, and they’ve taught me so much on this wild journey we’ve undertaken together. 

Mattie Do (Chanthaly, Dearest Sister, The Long Walk) is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors of all time. I’m also obsessed with Julia Ducournau (how original, right?), Issa López (Tigers Are Not Afraid), Gillian Horvat (I Blame Society), Ana Lily Amarpour (The Bad Batch, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night), and Veronika Franz (Goodnight Mommy, The Lodge). 

If you could invite one woman from horror to dinner who would you invite and why?

Without question, found footage queen and Dread Central EiC Mary Beth McAndrews! Talking low-budget indie found footage with her would be dreams made flesh.  

Women in horror have been making progress, but it’s clear that a lot of work is still needed to ensure that representation is correct and widespread. What is the importance of Women in Horror Month?

As a genre that’s often written off as high-octane misogynist fantasy, horror is a uniquely fraught gendered space, and that’s part of what makes it so rich. Gendered power dynamics are made explicit on screen in ways that other genres likely couldn’t get away with. While the genre has a history of subjugating women both on and off-screen, it also has tremendous potential to subvert gendered expectations and highlight the real-life horrors women experience. Women have fought tooth and nail to have their voices heard, often creating masterpieces in the process. Women in Horror Month is an opportunity to appreciate our foremothers and celebrate a dazzling array of new voices. Much like Halloween, I make a point of celebrating WiHM all year long. 

In honour of celebrating Women in Horror, who do you believe readers should keep an eye on in terms of women in horror?

I was thoroughly bewitched by Emma Tammi’s directorial debut feature The Wind and can’t wait to see what else she comes up with! I’m also dying to see Mattie Do’s next feature about “sexpats” in Laos. 

What do you have coming in 2022 that you can talk to us about?

Our personal essay anthology Hear Us Scream: Volume 2 is in the works, and we couldn’t be more excited to highlight another cohort of women/non-binary horror fans!

 I’m also working on my first piece for Certified Forgotten, an editorial about found footage meta-cinema and gender in Be My Cat: A Film for Anne.