European Nightmares – An International Conference on European Horror Cinema

June 1st – 3rd 2006

Manchester Metropolitan University, MIRIAD, UK (http://www.miriad.mmu.ac.uk/visualculture/inc)

There have always been close associations between Europe and horror. Horror cinema can be traced back to its European origins in Georges M*li*s's Le Manoir du Diable (1896), and is epitomised in the figure of Dracula, a monster notoriously anchored in a European context. Conceived by an Irish writer and based on Romanian myths and folktales, the narrative of Dracula (1897) is a journey through Europe. It was first filmed as Hungarian director K*roly Lajthay's Drakula Hal*la (1921) and a year later in F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu (1922), whilst actors ranging from the Hungarian Bela Lugosi to the British Christopher Lee have made the character a cult-figure.

European countries have often been the setting of horror films, and they are also the places of origin for a number of highly creative horror film directors, ranging from artistic approaches such as the Expressionist films of Robert Wiene, to surrealist horror films such as Luis Bu*uel's Un Chien Andalou (1929). Directors such as Dario Argento, Roman Polanski, Nicolas Roeg, Alex de la Iglesia and Stefan Ruzowitzky have produced more popular approaches to the genre. Alongside new developments in European horror films, there are also significant developments in their theorisation, such as the application of work by Gilles Deleuze, Slavoj *i*ek, Jean-Luc Nancy and Alain Badiou.

This conference, conceived by the Centre for the Study of Images, Narratives and Cultures (MIRIAD, Manchester Metropolitan University, (http://www.miriad.mmu.ac.uk/visualculture/inc) in collaboration with Cornerhouse (www.cornerhouse.org), will offer a platform to explore differences and similarities between European horror traditions, and particularly encourages submissions which use new ways of theorising and thinking about horror. Papers are sought that offer explorations of individual European directors (from early directors such as Stellan Rye to contemporaries like Neil Marshall); of horror film as a national symptom; of the comparative analysis of different horror films; of horror production in countries that are less associated with the genre; and of close analyses of individual horror films. Critical methodological tools might include historical and/or contemporary theoretical explorations, and might explore horror films from European silent, art-house and short fil!
 ms to popular, box office and B-Movies.

Papers may address a wide range of topics relevant to the focus of this conference including, but not limited to, the following:

- Horror films from all European countries (ranging from Scandinavian to
               British and Eastern European horror)
- horror and gender
- ethnicities and horror
- European traumas and the horror film
- European audiences
- European box office
- Institutions and film production
- Politics and/of the European horror film
- European film censorship
- Representations of Europe in European horror films
- European histories and horror
- European folktales, myths and horror films

Details for Submission of Abstracts:

Please send a 250-300 word abstract for a 20-minute paper, preferably via email to:

Dr Patricia Allmer, p.allmer_at_mmu.ac.uk

or to the following address:

Dr Patricia Allmer
MIRIAD
Manchester Metropolitan University
Cavendish North Building
Cavendish Street, Manchester
M15 6BG

Proposal deadline is Friday 13th January 2006. Include the title of your paper, your full name and contact details and institutional affiliation (if applicable).

Dr Patricia Allmer
MIRIAD, Manchester Metropolitan University
Cavendish North Building, Cavendish Street,
Manchester, M15 6BG

http://www.miriad.mmu.ac.uk/visualculture/inc

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Received on Sun Oct 23 2005 - 23:11:49 EDT