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This article has been published in: Ocula 35, Zombesque. Sociosemiotics of a cultural epidemic

author: Lorenzo Rossi (Dipartimento di scienze teoriche e applicate (DISTA), Università degli studi dell’Insubria, IT)

The island of zombies. Haiti and the past that won't go away, from Victor Halperin's White Zombie to Bertrand Bonello's Zombi Child.

language: italian

abstract: The zombie is the quintessential political figure of horror, not only in cinema but across various forms of media. Originating from the folkloric traditions of Haiti, it firmly established itself in the collective imagination through the horror films of the 1930s, particularly with White Zombie (1932) by Victor Halperin. When analyzed today, this film reveals a profound colonial perspective, marked by relentless cultural appropriation, with historical traces that are still evident and impactful in contemporary times. By juxtaposing White Zombie with a more recent auteur film, Zombi Child (2019) by Bertrand Bonello, it becomes clear how the zombie can evolve into a complex theoretical construct. This juxtaposition highlights the zombie as an aporia in contemporary post-colonial discourse. The zombie, bearing the literal and metaphorical scars of colonialism, prompts us to reflect on the intricate and often troubling complexities of our present era.

citation information: Lorenzo Rossi, L’isola degli zombi. Haiti e il passato che non passa da White Zombie di Victor Halperin a Zombi Child di Bertrand Bonello, "Ocula", vol.26, n.35, pp.41-55, September 2025. DOI: 10.57576/ocula2025-31

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