Mechanical Marvels: Clockwork Dreams

Jun 3, 2013

1h 0m

★ 7.3

Overview

Documentary presented by Professor Simon Schaffer which charts the amazing and untold story of automata - extraordinary clockwork machines designed hundreds of years ago to mimic and recreate life. The film brings the past to life in vivid detail as we see how and why these masterpieces were built. Travelling around Europe, Simon uncovers the history of these machines and shows us some of the most spectacular examples, from an entire working automaton city to a small boy who can be programmed to write and even a device that can play chess. All the machines Simon visits show a level of technical sophistication and ambition that still amazes today.

Genres

Documentary

Production Companies

Furnace

Mechanical Marvels: Clockwork Dreams Trailers

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Cast

Himself - Presenter

Simon Schaffer

Jacques De Vaucanson

Ilan Goodman

Flute Player

Laura Heath

Himself - Senior Curator of Horology, Royal Observatory Greenwich

Jonathan Betts

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No Image Available

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Mechanical Marvels: Clockwork Dreams

Overview

Genres

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Mechanical Marvels: Clockwork Dreams Trailers