Moved by the spirit

''The Unhappy Medium"
Short film by Chelsea Spear
Thursday, 7 p.m.
Medford Public Library
111 High St., MedfordFree of charge
www.pixievision.com

What do someone who claims to communicate with the dead, a 15th-century ballad, and the town of Medford have in common? They are all part of a new short film, ''The Unhappy Medium," being shown at the Medford Public Library on Thursday as part of the quarterly Brooks Estate slide show.

''The Unhappy Medium" is a silent, black-and-white film set in the 1920s. It is a scene from an unfinished 75-minute feature film called ''The Ballad of Burd Janet," by the same director, Chelsea Spear, a Medford native and recent graduate of Mount Ida College.

The movie combines two threads in her life, her pride for her hometown of Medford and her interest in the history of the Spiritualist movement.

''The short film is about two characters, Fay Stinson, a glamorous, unethical spirit medium, and her honest nephew, Tom," said Spear, who wrote, directed, and edited the film. ''It's a look at the contemptuous relationship between the two characters."

With a donation of $2,000 from Giles Cassels, who is in charge of publicity in the vintage books division of eBay.com, Spear was able to make the short film a reality.

Thursday's screening, she said, is a prelude to the feature-length film. ''I hope that they will get a very unique experience out of it and will want to see more," she said. ''I wanted to make something that is very visually opulent and very engaging to viewers." She also hopes that public interest will help her raise money to finish the 75-minute film.

The idea for the film stemmed from a picture book that her aunt gave her when she turned 5 years old. The book was a sanitized version of a 15th-century Scottish ballad, ''Tam-Lin," about a young woman who has to save her betrothed from being sacrificed to fairies.

The story seemed to follow Spear throughout her life. She came across it again in high school, when she was asked to do a report. She chose ''Tam-Lin" and began researching the tale. It was then that she discovered how the story of ''Tam-Lin" was cast in the realm of the supernatural and is centered on fairies. ''It was shocking to find out what the story was really about," she said.

When she revisited the ballad as an adult, she realized that what really piqued her interest were the mystical aspects of the story. ''I started looking into the Spiritualist movement," she said.

The Spiritualism movement began when, in 1848, three sisters named Fox claimed to be able to communicate with the dead through rapping sounds or by lifting a table during sances. Spiritualism gained a large following and created intrigue, excitement, suspicion, and scandal among American homes and the media.

''The Unhappy Medium" and the larger film that it will be a part of combines what Spear learned about the Spiritualist movement with the style and demeanor of those who lived in the early 20th century.

The main inspiration for the character of Fay (the self-professed spirit medium) was drawn from the Fox sisters and a Beacon Hill native named Mina ''Margery" Crandon. According to www.fst.org, the website for The First Spiritual Temple, Crandon was one of the most controversial spirit mediums in history, and was known for extravagant displays while contacting the dead.

''Margery Crandon was a con artist conditioning herself as a beacon of truth," said Spear. ''There were all these interesting things about her and you wished she were using her powers for good." In the film, Fay is played by Emily Sweeney, who is a reporter for The Boston Globe.

According to Spear, Crandon had a son who was not pleased with his mother's practices. The character of Tom, who is played by South Shore resident Ian Cardoni, is representative of that uncomfortable relative.

The 1920s became Spear's focus due to the popularity of Spiritualism and because of the societal shifts of the time. ''I see some strong parallels between the 1920s and the present day," she said, ''such as the contentious state of the world and the increasing class divide, as well as a newfound interest in religion and spirituality."

Spear, has made two other films: ''Alphabet," which was recently shown at the Brattle Theater in Harvard Square and has been featured at several women's film festivals nationwide, and ''The Hidden."

Growing up in Medford, Spear said, she did not realize the rich history of the city until she was older. Once she came to appreciate the beauty and historical significance of her hometown, she said, Medford became the ideal place for her to film the short movie.

''I wanted to do something really positive for Medford," said Spear. She wants to highlight the history of Medford and hopes that her film can cultivate a flowering of the arts in her hometown. ''It's like taking a small portion of a big lot and planting flowers and veggies."

DONNA NOVAK