Nightmarish Detour Documentary Review: SOUTHWEST OF SALEM: THE STORY OF THE SAN ANTONIO FOUR (2016)

SOUTHWEST OF SALEM: THE STORY OF THE SAN ANTONIO FOUR is a must watch documentary about four women wrongly accused of a crime in the South. Deborah S. Esquenazi, the director and cinematographer of the documentary, delivered a powerful message to the world while giving us a record of events that needs to get out to the public. The film is a wake up call to people that we are all equal and these women deserve to live freely as they please. This documentary focuses on a conservative judicial system that wrongly accused Elizabeth Ramirez, Cassandra Rivera, Kristie Mayhugh and Anna Vesquez of child molestation.

With a ping of jealousy all caused by one man who wrote love notes to Elizabeth Ramirez, who denied him, a fable was created out of an evil hatred that these four woman had conducted a series of sexual acts to underage girls. Their tale is a strong one and in a society where people discriminate against sexual orientation, religion, and alternative practice, I hope that after watching SOUTHWEST OF SALEM: THE STORY OF THE SAN ANTONIO FOUR it will drive certain communities to acceptance. We are all human and these women did not deserve to be locked in a jail cell because of a false tale of witch rituals and abuse that never took place. I hope the public comes to term with this and is more aware of right and wrong. We must learn to accept and love and that’s my two cents on SOUTHWEST OF SALEM: THE STORY OF THE SAN ANTONIO FOUR. Thank you Deborah S. Esquenazi for bringing this to life.