Artists-in-Residence: Donal Mosher & Michael Palmieri

As part of our ongoing interviews with Artists-in-Residence at the Jacob Burns Film Center, we recently caught up with filmmakers Donal Mosher & Michael Palmieri to talk about their current work. This residency is presented in collaboration with the Sundance Institute. Donal and Mike will be performing their piece at the JBFC in a private screening this July. 

1. How did this residency come about, and how did you learn about the Burns?
We knew of the Film Center but it was Ryan Harrington who told us about the residency and encouraged us to approach the JBFC about it. He and [JBFC Interim Head of Film Programming Department] Chris Holliday were instrumental in making this happen.

2. Can you tell us a bit about the project you’re working on during your residency?
Our main focus will be our live cinema/music/storytelling project Spectral Transmissions. We like to think of it as an uncanny vaudeville show in which we invite writers, artists, and filmmakers to reimagine the ghost story to address personal, social, and global issues in the world today. These are performed onstage with live scores and cinema pieces created specifically for each story. Versions of the show have been presented across the U.S. and in Europe, including IDFA: On Stage in 2021 and 2023. 

3. Where did the idea behind Spectral Transmissions come from?
Spectral Transmissions began as a collaborative audio project during the pandemic lockdowns. It was a way to keep up personal and creative connections during the time when when we were all feeling like ghosts to one another. As the world opened up, we made the project into a live experience that continues to evolve and change as it is performed for different audiences and communities. 

4. Your project has had multiple variations. What are some of the most interesting things you’ve learned while working on the latest iteration?
We like to tailor each show to the region in which we perform. In preparation for the performance at the Jacob Burns Film Center, we’ve learned more about the Hudson area and upstate New York, which are considered some of the most haunted areas in the nation. With its history of colonialism, erasure of much of the Native American populations, the Revolutionary War, rapid industrialization, and generations upon generations of immigration, how could this land not be haunted? 

5. What do you want viewers to experience from your project?
We think of ghosts and hauntings as cultural metaphors, as ways of addressing what history often leaves unseen and the forces that shape our lives and selves often without our acknowledgment. We want our viewers to think about and look for these kinds of ghosts. We also want to give them just the simple pleasure of hearing some good stories.

6. What works/artists have been most inspirational to you in this pursuit?
Given the variety of material we employ, a real list of influences would be miles long including rural storytellers, pop bands, film composers, radio theater, artists such Laurie Anderson, writers such as Toni Morrison and Mark Fisher… The real inspiration comes from the stories we receive from our peers and collaborators. Doing justice to our contributors really pushes us. 

7. Do you believe in ghosts?
We believe that ghosts are a powerful concept—a concept that, whether ghosts are real or not, has real power in our lives.