Please introduce yourself.
My name is Lee Ann Kurr, and I’m a film writer-director based in Burbank CA, with a background in classical theatre. My work is female-forward with intentionally diverse character ensembles, and uses genre to heighten a coming-of-age narrative.
What is it that attracts you the horror genre for your chosen field of creative work?
I have nightmares pretty often. In a process of masochistic mental alchemy, the stress from my day is turned into anxious scenarios when I fall asleep. And nine times out of ten, these scenarios put me back in high school. Certain shadows followed me around at that age (social insecurity, loneliness, hyper-perfectionism, perceived inferiority), and are why I chose to make my first feature film, Student Body, about the nightmare of high school– more specifically, the nightmare of being female-identifying in high school. Maybe I’ll make another film about high school in the future, and it’ll be entirely different, but this first one could only have been a horror film. When it comes to remembering those years, I don’t have nostalgia free of nightmares. I suspect other womxn feel similarly.
Who inspires you in your work and in life?
There are so many filmmakers whose work I feel lucky to have been inspired by: Celine Sciamma, Yorgos Lanthimos, Taika Waititi, Bong Joon-Ho, Alfred Hitchcock, Alfonso Cuarón, Greta Gerwig, to name a few. But I also greatly enjoy being inspired by other mediums, particularly music and paintings. For each script I write I create a playlist, and for each film I make I find a painter whose work evokes the spirit of what I’m trying to capture. Student Body’s playlist involved a lot of Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, Johnny Greenwood, and synth-pop bands like CHVRCHES. The early 20th century Surrealist painter Giogrio de Chirico was my “spiritual” guide for the film. I remember showing my cinematographer de Chirico’s piece “Mystery and Melancholy of a Street,” and basically saying it was our north star for the whole project. I was so blown away by how accurately that painting captivated the feeling I wanted my film to have. With the current script I’m writing, which is also a horror-thriller, I’ve already chosen some paintings by Edward Hopper. I hope to make that film soon!
Women in horror have made great strides, but it’s clear that a lot of work is still needed to make it a most inclusive genre. To you, what is the importance of a movement like Women in Horror Month?
Speaking specifically about the film space, I think it’s important to appreciate and be inspired by master horror filmmakers from the past. John Carpenter, Brian de Palma, Ridley Scott, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch, David Cronenberg, Wes Craven and George A. Romero are some names that come to mind. And as valuable as their artistic contributions are, we clearly see that horror film has traditionally been a white, straight, cys-gendered male space indeed! But content creation (thankfully) is becoming more democratic and representative, and shining a light on womxn in traditionally white male spaces is an essential part of keeping up that momentum. Womxn deserve equal opportunity to tell their stories in the horror space, and can artistically contribute just as much as the traditional ‘pantheon’ of horror masters. What a loss for us all if we don’t support and assert that truth! Movements such as these are (thankfully, again) part of pushing forward that assertion.
What would you tell an up-and-coming creative in the world of horror who sees that being a woman/identifying as a women as something that makes it so much more difficult at times?
Don’t give up. Don’t be discouraged. Trust that your work will resonate, that being other is a superpower, no matter what the fearful people say, and you will find a way to make your vision come together. Work hard. Dedicate yourself. Don’t give up.
What are your favorite bits of helpful advice that you have received about your work or your field?
I was given the advice that good writing, good work, will never go unnoticed forever, because quality is always in demand. While women face many difficulties in breaking through and getting a shot with the gatekeepers, that advice has been very helpful to keep in mind. Truth will out– and so will quality.
In honor of celebrating Women in Horror Month, who do you believe viewers should keep an eye on in terms of the creative ladies in horror?
For horror film, check out the work of Jennifer Kent, Issa López, Julia Ducournou, Ana Lily Amirpour, Natalie Erika James, Rose Glass, and Josephine Decker. I’m actually quite a scardy cat, so some of their films I can’t even finish, they’re so scary. But there are so many exciting womxn in horror film, and I’m sure I forgot so many more wonderful ones. I’d encourage everyone to skip re-watching The Shining this time around, wonderful as it is, and watch their films instead!
What do you have coming soon that you can talk to us about?
My first feature film Student Body, a YA coming-of-age horror-thriller, will be coming out this year. Keep an eye out for it!
Pop them links to follow your work here:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11010888/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2
Iliza Shlesinger Joins Rom-Com ‘Godfrey’; Coming-of-Age Horror ‘Student Body’ Sets Cast