séance

The film, to be released nationwide on Friday by Neon, plays less like a documentary than a séance in which Orwell’s ghost watches his own warnings play out: urgent, relentless, immersive as a nightmare.

It is relevant to point out that Smith is also a magician, a member of the Magic Castle, home itself to a popular séance.

“The séance comes along, and not only is it a group activity, but it suggests that anyone can communicate with the spirits of the dead,” Morton says.

She, too, appreciated the historical emphasis, specifically the way a musician performs after the séance as guests mingle with one another and share their experience.

Welcome to “Phasmagorica,” what composer-turned-magician-turned-spiritual explorer BC Smith describes as “a séance reimagined as art.”