'Pine State Phantoms' Documentary Puts Emphasis on Witness Testimony

Investigator and filmmaker Nathaniel Brislin embarks on a journey into high strangeness with fellow investigator Karac St. Laurent as they investigate strange goings-on centered around one woman’s Sabattus, Maine, home in the upcoming documentary Pine State Phantoms.

The film documents the evidence and testimony compiled by resident Kathy Fay, who claims to have witnessed everything from ghostly activity to UFOs to Bigfoot in and around her relatively isolated house and the surrounding woods. Also prominently featured is the experience of Laurie Notch, Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Southern Maine Community College, who for several years has helped investigate the reported phenomena.

Brislin and St. Laurent generally let Fay’s evidence speak for itself, rather than offering their own explanations. Although efforts are made to rule out certain mundane phenomena, the film is more about documenting the witness’ experience than it is a scientific deep-dive into evidence examination. In that sense, it is a true documentary, certainly much more so than the more scripted shows and films that have come to dominate the industry.

Visually, the film is consistently engaging. It’s shot entirely with handheld cameras, giving an investigator’s-eye-view of events. That, combined with a peppering of interesting lore from the region, create an immersive experience that allows the viewer to feel as though they’re taking part in the investigation—keeping the narrative focused on Fay’s encounters pays off here, and the audience gets to decide for themselves what to make of her evidence and the corroborative testimony of Professor Notch.

Pine State Phantoms is the kind of high strangeness documentary for which forteans have long been clamoring—devoid of spin and focused on the experiential nature of paranormal phenomena.

The documentary premieres October 31st, and is available to watch for free on YouTube through BizarreBase.

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