Told from the perspective of a returning native, WITCH CITY is an uncompromising documentary about Salem, Massachusetts, a town that put the phrase "witch hunt" into the American vocabulary and a place where today a Disneyesque version of history serves the purposes of both commercial and religious interests. Filmmaker Joe Cultrera returns home to find a place where the historical facts are sensationalized for the benefit of T-shirt hawkers and wax museum owners. New Age Wiccans (witches) make the pilgrimage to Salem, and evangelical Christians use street theater to wage a fire and brimstone war against them. WITCH CITY is a cautionary tale about the consequences of manipulating historical facts for present-day gains.

"Fascinating. Very entertaining."
—Michael Apted, Director: Coal Miner's Daughter, Gorillas in the Mist, 35-Up

"...personal and provoking."
—Anne Driscoll: Boston Globe

Click here for Craig Wilson's USA Today cover story about Halloween in Salem and the "Witch City" presence.
Click here for John Koch's 4/99 Boston Globe Review
Click here for Ann Driscoll's Boston Globe Story