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 and the history and portrayal of witches in western society and pop culture. Using clips of cinema’s witches to illustrate her own experience and those of fellow patients, alongside interviews with medical professionals and academics, Sankey creates her own spell book for all to use.

Elizabeth Sankey is a British director, writer and musician whose documentaries combine personal experiences and cultural reflections. Her first major success was Romantic Comedy (2019), which explored the impact of romantic comedies, using a distinctive tone to analyse the genre's clichés and cultural significance.
‍
Her new film, Witches (2024), explores the interconnections between women's mental health and historical depictions of witches, drawing on personal experiences. Through archival film clips, interviews and her own diary-like narrative, the documentary explores how narratives of the past shape images of women and motherhood today.