Project Detail

Witches

Synopsis

In this personal and intimate film writer-director Elizabeth Sankey uses her own story of being admitted to a psychiatric ward after the birth of her son to explore the unexpected yet compelling connections between perinatal mental health illness and the history and portrayal of witches in western society. Using clips of cinematic witches to illustrate her own experience and those of fellow sufferers, alongside interviews with medical professionals and academics, Sankey creates her own spell book for all to use.
Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival 2024 - World premiere
Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2024 - Documentary Competition

Details

Year
2024
Type of project
Features
Running time
90 min
Director
Elizabeth Sankey
Producer
Manon Ardisson, Chiara Ventura, Jeremy Warmsley
Executive Producer
Efe Cakarel, Jason Ropell, Bobby Allen, Thomas C. Hoegh
Screenwriter
Elizabeth Sankey
Principal cast
With contributions from: Sophia Di Martino, Catherine Cho, David Emson, Dr. Trudi Seneviratne, Professor Marion Gibson, Shema Tariq

Categories

Production Status

Production Company

Ardimages UK

Manon Ardisson
Chiara Ventura
Jeremy Warmsley

Sales Company

MUBI

Meghan Wurtz

Page updates

This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

Romantic Comedy Romantic Comedy

Director: Elizabeth Sankey

Year: 2019

A documentary that goes beneath the surface of our favourite films, seeking to better understand the way we view love, relationships and romance. From 'It Happened One Night' to 'Runaway Bride', from clumsy meet cutes to rain-soaked declarations of love, these films reflect our experiences but are often just as problematic as they are comforting. They're hugely successful and deeply loved by many, but - being frequently dismissed as guilty pleasures - they have often avoided critical analysis. Helped by a diverse chorus of critics, actors and filmmakers, and with original songs by her band Summer Camp, director Elizabeth Sankey embarks on a journey of investigation and self-discovery. Official Selection International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) 2019 - Voices - World premiere Official Selection SXSW 2019

Ellie Jim & Adam Pearson Zero Intention of Living Quietly

Director: Edward Lovelace

Year: 2026

Defined for much of his life by other people's perceptions of his visible difference, actor Adam Pearson finds a new sense of possibility when he meets Ellie, a teenage girl living with the same genetic condition. As their unlikely friendship inspires Adam to confront the rules he's built to protect himself, he returns to the big screen and discovers that the hero he's been searching for may be himself. Official Selection Telluride Film Festival 2026 Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2026

Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor in Ankor Wat Act 3

Director: Christine Molloy, Joe Lawlor

Year:

The final part of a documentary trilogy that began with 'Further Beyond' and 'TheFuture Tense', 'ACT 3' completes Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor’s exploration of ideas around identity, place and memory. Here, they delve in to their past work and creative collaboration across 40 years to explore the possibility of their future identities; and how they choose to imagine the final third of their life. Mining the intimate relationship of artists Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore – who are the subject of their current feature film – and taking their typically droll, existentially-inflected, meta approach, the documentary ultimately becomes a moving meditation on the meaning of life, art and love. Official Selection Telluride Film Festival 2026 Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2026