Antonio and the Last Wizard

Antonio and the Last Wizard unveils the relationship between a 19th-century technological marvel and a 21st-century craftsman. The film follows John Gaughan, the world's preeminent designer of illusions, in his obsessive quest to bring back to life a legendary automaton trapeze performer from the 1840's: Antonio Diavolo. Originally created by Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin, the mechanical gymnast is more than an assembly of gears and wires to Gaughan. Their bond is defined by a deep paternal intimacy that blurs the line between engineering and parenthood. As the "Last Wizard” preserving and resurrecting secret traditions in the digital age, John and Antonio's story culminates in the moment the wooden figure performs his gravity-defying routine once more.