DORM

When creating this film, I wanted to approach horror from a perspective of "what truly makes something scary?" What elements really hit hard and stick with you after the film is over; what makes you stay up at night and think?

In order to explore that, I drew on themes from my own life that filled me with a certain sense of fear and unease. Being followed, the feeling of uncertainty that lurks behind a closed door, the lack of shelter within a long hallway- Mundane and physical things that can quickly give a person a feeling that something isn't quite right.

I specifically wanted to create this film with a feminist perspective, studying the ways women are often portrayed in the horror genre, usually through the written direction of men. I wanted to make a protagonist who was willing to fight, but still felt a relatable sense of fear in the face of an unknown threat. The ominous texts and phone call are left to the interpretation of viewers, as are all of the 'supernatural' experiences within the film. Much of my experience as a young woman has involved a sort of conditioning to ignore gut feelings, and talk oneself out of these emotional reactions we may have to a certain place or person. Within this short film, I wanted to really capture the essence of that.

I believe what makes a piece of media the most haunting is when we feel it could happen to us, whether literally, or within a certain fictional context. The safe havens we create within our lives are meant to be just that- safe. If you aren't safe in your own room, in a building surrounded by other people, with technology at your disposal, then where could you ever hide?