Visions of the Monstrous-Feminine: A Horror Film Series
Thursday
October 6, 2022
6:30 pm-7:00 pm
During Free First Thursday at the CMA, take in a screening of short film Suicide by Sunlight (2018) in the CMA Theater.
Since the Gothic horror era, vampires like Dracula and Carmilla have represented fears of racial and sexual otherness — antisemitic sentiments and anxieties about female power and queer sexualities. Vampires have also embodied white supremacy in the form of pale, aristocratic Europeans who seduce and feed upon exploited mortals — think Miriam Blaylock from The Hunger. In the 1970s, Black directors brought the first Black vampires to the screen in Blacula and Ganja and Hess.
Suicide by Sunlight follows Valentina, who struggles to assimilate into society due to her acquired abilities as a day-walking Black vampire. By day, she is a hardworking pediatric nurse. By night, she transforms into a desperate vampire preying on the innocent. As she adjusts to the new challenges of vampirism, Valentina must cope with her complicated relationship with her estranged daughters and husband. This alluring drama about motherhood conveys the challenges of conflicting identities as Valentina attempts to satisfy her bloodlust while striving to be the parent her children deserve. Run time: 17 minutes.