"Her pain will turn to poison in your blood..." - UMMA (2022)

Our WOMEN IN HORROR MONTH Celebration continues with a look at IRIS K. SHIM's film UMMA.In UMMA, a Korean-American woman living on an isolated farm with her teenage daughter has her world turned upside down when the ashes of her abusive mother are delivered for her to bury. The longer she resists giving her Umma her final respects, the angrier Umma's spirit becomes.At first glance, UMMA is a straightforward ghost/possession story that plays with the universal fear of becoming one's parents.But lurking underneath is a complex spiderweb of generational trauma, the cycle of abuse and the uniquely Korean cultural syndrome known as Hwa-Byung.To help me navigate these dark and dangerous waters, I am delighted to have two very special guests: author and actor RORY KELSCH ("I Am Strength: Tales of Everyday Superwomen") and actor, singer and activist ERIN QUILL ("Avenue Q", "The Mikado Project).UMMA is currently available on Netflix.UMMA was written & directed by IRIS K. SHIM and stars SANDRA OH, FIVEL STEWART, DERMOT MULRONEY, MEE WAA ALANA LEE, ODEYA RUSH and TOM YI.For more information about Hwa-Byung Syndrome, check out this article from Exploring Your Mind.To learn more about Korean Comfort Women, this article from The New Yorker is a great place to start.Watch Dr. Steven Schlozman's TEDTalk on "What Horror Movies Teach Us About Ourselves and Being Human."Visit us at www.ScreamQueenz.comFollow us on FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM & YOUTUBE.Get access to THE FINAL REEL, "DAMN YOU, UNCLE LEWIS!" and all other Premium ScreamQueenz PATREON Content for as little as $5 a month. Find out more at www.Patreon.com/screamqueenzGet all your SCREAMQUEENZ MERCHANDISE and browse our entire catalog of hand-curated designs at SCREAMTEEZ. Visit www.screamqueenz.com/merchCAPTIVATE.FM is the only podcast host dedicated to helping your podcast grow. Try them out for free for 7 days at https://www.screamqueenz.com/captivateDon't settle for subpar sound. Get a free 7 day trial of SQUADCAST.FM - Remote Recordings For Professional Podcasters at https://www.screamqueenz.com/squadcastMentioned in this episode:Network Plug with musicThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp