The UK horror/indie horror scene is a tight-knit community. Do you enjoy attending events like Frightfest, interacting with fans and meeting industry peers?
It really is such a tight-knit community and that's what I love about it! We all support each other's work. "Video Shop" just premiered at Horror-on-Sea and so many people came out to support it, they actually had to open two screens and play it on both simultaneously. The same thing happened at FrightFest with "LOLA". It is lovely to be part of that community.
What are the best films you have watched recently (horror and any other genre) that you would recommend?
I loved last year's A24 horror "Lamb" as I thought it did something really interesting with the genre; it was about a childless couple living in rural Iceland, and how their desperation for a child leads them down a strange path. The cinematography is beautiful and it felt strange and ethereal; it blended horror with fantasy. And I think Cate Blanchett is astounding in "Tar".
What was the first horror film you ever watched, and how did it make you feel?
The first one was "The Shining" - I couldn't have asked for a better introduction to horror as it is such a well-made film with amazing performances!
Do you have any fears and phobias in real life?
I'm not great with spiders!
In Video Shop Tales of Terror you star in the Vergessen segment, tell us a bit more about it?
I play Ilsa Lall, an unwilling participant in 'Operation Vergessen'. Together with the other occupants of the 'Frau Haus', I seek to escape, and exact revenge on my tormentors by any means possible!
It's based on a true story; during the war, the Nazis trained women as spies and placed them in a brothel frequented by high-ranking officers with instructions to record the men - the bedrooms were all wire tapped. It was part of the Nazis intelligence gathering.
Our film is about those women and their story, as they attempt to overcome their oppressors and escape.
It was important to me as I think women's stories often get overlooked and forgotten when we talk about the war.
Video Shop Tales of Terror kickstarts a new horror anthology – will the team/cast be the same for the upcoming film/s?
I certainly hope so! I love working with Michael Fausti; he's an intelligent director with a great vision. And Kemal Yildirim who did the cinematography also writes and directs, so I would love to work with him too.
What new projects do you have coming up that you would like to share with us?
I appear in Steve Lawson's "Ripper's Revenge" which is out on 3rd April. I am also lucky to appear in "How To Kill Monsters" directed by Stewart Sparke, a horror comedy, later this year! And "The Final 45"; a period drama set during the Second World War where I play a French resistance leader fighting Nazis!
