Executive Producer Sean Penn presents "Witch Hunt," a gripping indictment of the American justice system told through the lens of one small town. Voters in Bakersfield, California elected a tough on crime district attorney into office for more than 25 years. During his tenure he convicted dozens of innocent working class moms and dads. They went to prison, some for decades, before being exonerated. He remains in office today. This story on a micro level mirrors what the US has experienced over the last eight years. When power is allowed to exist without oversight civil rights are in jeopardy.
Direction
Hardy and Nachman build dread without sensationalism.
Acting
Penn's narration simmers with barely-contained fury.
Editing
Archival footage weaponized for maximum gut-punch.
Director
Don Hardy Jr.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The Bakersfield cases helped spark the 1980s 'Satanic Panic' that spread nationwide, destroying hundreds of families before the FBI finally declared the conspiracy theories baseless in 1992.
US
