"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."

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