Can one be a witch and not know it?
That’s just one of the questions the feature film, “I Be a Witch,” contemplates.
Lori Prescott Hansen, who conceived the idea for this film, said the film is based on the story of her 11th great grandmother, Ann Foster, who was accused of witchcraft in the frenzy of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials.
Foster lived in Andover, Massachusetts, a town near Salem. She was one of the oldest people accused of witchcraft, at 75.
Foster experienced many tragedies throughout her life, leading the community to suspect she was a witch.
“She had had several tragedies in her life, very unique to her family, and whenever you had something like that, that singled you out,” Prescott Hansen said in an interview with BYU-Idaho radio.
The filmmaker said she learned about Foster’s story from her son, who found Foster on FamilySearch, a genealogy site for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“I had no idea she was my ancestor, but the more I read about it, the more intriguing it became. It just struck me as something that needed to be shared and told and it kind of grew from there,” Prescott Hansen said.
Prescott Hansen began to tell the story through a one-woman show. She said it later evolved into a film when she contacted directors Cherie and Matthew C.S. Julander.
Lori’s husband, Omar Hansen, was one of the producers of the film.
He said the filming location was mostly in a garage studio, with only a few shots filmed in Andover.
“The entire film was shot in a small little garage studio. That was the amazing thing about this film, was when you see it, it doesn’t look like that. It’s just kind of magical what we did, and I think that’s part of the wonder of this film,” Omar said.
The film won The Audience Choice Award and was nominated for eight other awards in the 2024 Utah Film Festival, including The Best Cinematography, The Best editing and The Best Wardrobe.
The final version of the film is coming to the Romance Theater in Rexburg on Oct. 26. The screening will be at 7:30 p.m. and tickets cost $8. You can buy tickets at the theater or on their website.
To watch the trailer, visit the film’s website here.