"[A] meditation on the personal meanings of Salem stories for contemporary society" Marion Gibson, Prof. Renaissance & Magical Literatures, Univ of Exeter

Young writer Alice was a teenager when she discovered something that changed her life forever: she was a descendant of Martha Allen Carrier, a woman hanged for witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. At 24, after scouring archives, reading academic texts, and compiling hundreds of pages of notes on witch hunts, Alice is ready to share her findings in a book. But before finishing the story, she has some last strings to tie up, which leads her to revisit the last days of Martha in Salem and to reckon with the fact that for millions around the world, Salem is not over.

Departing from a personal quest, and merging with the testimony of Italian feminist scholar Silvia Federici ("Caliban and the Witch"), and the performance of the Spanish artist Esther Musgo, A WITCH STORY is about memory and the need to unveil the real social and political motivations behind the Great Witch Hunts of Europe and the Americas to understand the violence waged against women today.



Grade Level: 10 - 12, College, Adults
US Release Date: 2024     Copyright Date: 2022
DVD ISBN: 1-961192-28-4

Reviews "The brutality, legacy, and relevance of witch-hunting are vividly brought to life in this captivating and finely wrought documentary. Interweaving history, politics, religion, and feminist theory with imaginative visuals and a deeply personal narrative, A Witch Story parallels the complexity of both the Salem witch trials and witch hunts in general by posing more questions than answers. This film is an excellent exploration of a fraught subject rarely covered with such nuance, accuracy, and urgency." Kristen Sollée , Lecturer of Gender Studies, The New School, Author, Witches, Sluts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive "In this beautifully presented and compelling tale, we follow Alice Markham-Cantor on a journey to rediscover her ancestor Martha Carrier, one of the accused and executed women during the 1692-93 Salem Witchcraft Trials. With the insights of feminist theorist Silvia Federici as our guide, we witness how witches have challenged capitalist patriarchy, exposing the full power of the personal as well as the political in the process." Eileen Boris, Hull Professor of Feminist Studies, University of California-Santa Barbara, Author, Engendering Transnational Transgressions: From the Intimate to the Global "The composition of personal story, artwork, and feminist scholarship works very well. A Witch Story presents a fresh look by a young writer, an artist, and a feminist scholar with a story we think we know. I will definitely use this feature documentary in my class on witch hunts in fact and fiction around the world." Waltraud Maierhofer, Professor of German, Professor of Global Health Studies, University of Iowa "A Witch Story is a meditation on the personal meanings of Salem stories for contemporary society, including theories about historical witch-hunting. It focuses on descendants of the accused people and ethical responses to persecution. In conjunction with reading histories of the trials and fictions about them, it is a useful conversation-starter about what happened at Salem and why the concept of the witch trial is still relevant today." Marion Gibson, Professor of Renaissance and Magical Literatures, University of Exeter, Author, Witchcraft: A History in 13 Trials "[B]rings to life the ordeal of Martha Allen Carrier, one of the women tragically hanged during the 1692 Salem witch trials because she refused to confess to the crime of witchcraft. With great sensitivity and creativity, [writer, Alice Markham-]Cantor delves into this dark history while also exploring her personal connection to Carrier, her 11-times-great grandmother. Through a powerful blend of historical analysis and modern-day reflection, including an investigation of contemporary misogyny around the world, ...[this]...vivid and poignant film makes this haunting legacy feel strikingly relevant." Elizabeth Reis, Professor Emeritus of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies , University of Oregon, Author, Damned Women: Sinners and Witches in Puritan New England