Sands 25: Witches (N/C 15) - From Pay What You Can: £12, £10, £8

Introduced by Elizabeth Sankey (Writer/Director/Editor) followed by Q&A with Elizabeth Sankey and Jeremy Warmsley (Composer/Producer)

Yasmin Thornton* on why you should see Witches at Sands 25:

Revisiting depictions of witches throughout history and popular culture, British filmmaker Elizabeth Sankey's deeply intimate documentary sheds light on the fractured relationship between postpartum depression in mothers and its stigmatised reception in society. Weaving archival footage and interviews with the thread of her own personal testimony, Sankey's web of visuals forms a spellbinding confessional, exploring the complexities of social attitudes towards women's health and providing moving accounts of motherhood, womanhood, and sisterhood.

This compelling video essay approach turns the camera inward to confront historical testimonial injustice, unravelling social taboos and granting a cathartic expression of fear, uncertainty, and hope in the company of Sankey's own coven of like-minded individuals.

Witches premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival and won Best Independent Documentary at the British Independent Film Awards.

Shown in English | Dir: Elizabeth Sankey | 2024 | UK | 1h 30m

Contains: strong language, and discusses postpartum anxiety and depression
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*Sands films are selected by our Festival Director, Ania Trzebiatowska (who is also a feature film programmer for the Sundance Film Festival), in collaboration with a hand picked group of Student Curators from the University of St Andrews Department (which was ranked first in the UK for Media and Film Studies by The Guardian Good University Guide 2025.)