Witches

Legends and folklore are often the manifestation of deep-rooted cultural beliefs. What if witches are not mythical figures, but the legacy of a patriarchal world view that misjudged mental illnesses in women? 

Motherhood is usually portrayed as a source of boundless joy and full of unconditional love. But what happens when a mother experiences post-partum depression and psychosis, and grapples with dreadful thoughts about her newborn? Director Elizabeth Sankey draws on her own experience, relating it to the wider representation of witches – and therefore women – in cinema and history, as well as in testimonies from historians, folklore scholars and psychiatrists. Sankey crafts a profound cultural analysis of our cultivated prejudices and fears surrounding women. By reclaiming the figure of the witch and embracing the mysterious and magical aspects of that figure, the film extends an invitation to a new kind of coven: one built on healing, empathy and solidarity. 

The film will be introduced by an expert.

In collaboration with Lumière Cinema