Filmmaker Statement

I first met Houdini II at Blackpool Magic Convention (UK) in 2023, it was an event I had attended annually in my youth as a practicing magician. It was Houdini's first time outside the US, and my first encounter with a real escape artist. He spoke about his career in the 80s and 90s, when he performed high-risk, physically challenging escapes that echoed the feats of the original Harry Houdini. Now in his later years, with much of his extraordinary history scattered, his legacy faced the risk of fading into obscurity. The film emerged from a collaborative process built on mutual trust and respect. Houdini II invited me to accompany him across the Carolinas, where over two weeks I documented the history of his escapes, a live magic performance, and personal reflections. This collaborative spirit ensured his story would be told authentically, in his own voice, and on his own terms. My filmmaking approach deliberately mirrored his early escapes: working with limited resources but driven