Pennhurst Asylum Haunt

The film follows disabled actors who spook Halloween visitors at the former state institution.

Halloween Haunt History

Pennhurst Asylum operated for 79 years before closing in 1987 after lawsuits from former patients.

Institutional Abuse

Patients were restrained to beds or toilets for days, with injury and intellectual regression common.

Dental Clinic Horror

The dental clinic was the most horrifying room, where staff pulled teeth after patients bit themselves.

1968 Expose

WCAU-TV reporter Bill Baldini said, 'The children, as they are all called, who are rotting in their cages, cribs and beds can thank society for their dreadful plight.'

“The children, as they are all called, who are rotting in their cages, cribs and beds can thank society for their dreadful plight”

Directors' Background

Nathan Stenberg, Mike Attie, and Katarina Poljak created the documentary after academic research and festival screenings.

Haunter Perspectives

Eddie Buck, a deaf actor, says the film balances horror with the importance of Pennhurst's history.

“A lot of people ask me, why would you do that? You're supporting the idea of a place like that. It just seems very conflicting.”

Historical Context

Pennhurst housed up to 4,100 people despite a capacity of 1,984, with severe neglect documented in the press.

Documentary Premiere

The film premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in June and has screened in Lisbon, Phoenixville, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Wilmington.

Director's Reflection

Stenberg recalls how he and Autumn Werner might not have met if institutionalized at Pennhurst.

“I was talking to Autumn and she asked me, 'Do you think that we would have known each other if we were institutionalized here in Pennhurst?'”

Haunters' Motivation

Actors use their roles to challenge stereotypes and educate about Pennhurst's history.

Festival Tour

The documentary will continue to play at New Orleans Film Festival after its Philadelphia run.

Social Impact

The film aims to start conversations about disability rights and institutional abuse.

Final Message

Stenberg says, 'These steps here at Pennhurst remind us not of how far we've come, but rather how close we are to walking back up those steps.'

“These steps here at Pennhurst remind us not of how far we've come, but rather how close we are to walking back up those steps”