Eve's Bayou (1997)

Editor's Note: Trigger warning for Rape

There are two types of post-memories, there are only two that I can think of that I can connect to. One of the post-memories is familial; my mom would tell me stories about Obeah, the forgotten language of patois in my family- and there’s Anansi. These stories felt ghostly, unfamiliar, and strange because I did not connect to them, for they are my mom’s stories, stories she grew up listening to from her parents. Then, my mom and I watched  Eve’s Bayou, and so much of the Caribbean culture my mom spoke of was communicated through that film. Next, affiliated post-memory; reading Toni Morrison’s Beloved, was terrifying and magnificent. The scene that stood out for me the most is the disturbing image of the main character, Sethe, whose breastmilk was being drunk by white men. I was Sethe when I read this scene, I imagined my body, subdued on the ground, my breasts naked to these white men, my milk pouring into their mouths… This is not a real memory. The language was so vividly written that it transmitted images, that felt like they were my own images.

When watching Grbavica, I learned about the rape camps during the Bosnian war as a tactic of the humiliation of Bosnian women as well as ethnic cleansing. Esma’s secret of her rape causes the distance between herself and Sara. For example, the scene where Esma is crying and shuts the door, so Sara cannot witness her sadness, leaves Sara feeling alienated. The rape post-memory is when Esma reveals the truth about Sara's conception, which happened in the rape camps.  Esma's memory of her rape transmits into images for Sara, causing her identity to shatter; we see this when she shaves off all her hair because Esma told her she has her father’s hair.

Post-memory doesn’t always have to link to one’s identity, but in Sara’s case, her parentage was a form of her identity. I also think the scene of Esma telling Sara the truth about her rape is another post-memory. Sara was extremely burdened by her mother’s truth, when she looked at herself in the mirror, she saw a child who is a product of rape. Not to mention, when Esma told her the ‘men’ raped her, Sara was probably imagining these men violating her mother’s body and how Esma was forced to give birth to her in this camp. Once again, Esma is transferring images in Sara’s mind, and while these images are not of Sara, they affect her deeply.

Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror moves chronologically through Black representation in horror films, as told and viewed by Black filmmakers and actors in this genre. I think it is important that the perspective is given solely to Black actors and filmmakers and is not counterpointed or discussed with White people. This film is about the Black experience as it relates to Black horror films. This is important for two reasons — #1 It will give non-Black viewers some perspective on the Black experience in representation or lack thereof; #2 As mentioned by Rachel True (actor in The Craft), sometimes the racism is so normalized in America (even to people of color) that its presence is often ignored. We all need to acknowledge the history of representation so positive change occurs.

Because of laziness, I will be abbreviating Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror as HN:HBH.

First, horror movies are profitable. Beyond that, a common theme throughout the horror genre, as articulated in many interviews in HN:HBH, is that Black history is Black horror. This message is weaved through the film and through the genre. The phases of Black representation in horror relate directly to the political and social climate of the time. As you will see in the timeline below, the first film mentioned, Birth of a Nation, is not a typical horror film. To Black viewers, however, it definitely reads as horror. The heroes in this film are the KKK! Birth of a Nation was screened at the White House and ENDORSED BY THE PRESIDENT! That doesn’t seem as shocking today as it might have seemed ten years ago, but still unacceptable. What message must have that sent to Black Americans? The only representation of Black people in films was meant to incite fear and demonize Black people.