Ship of Fools

Ship of Fools

2026 · 30 min · Documentary, Comedy

Always the last to know, filmmaker Jon Beaton learns of his autism late in life – a diagnosis that brings liberation and mourning in equal measure. Seeking company, he turns to four figures who may have missed the memo entirely: Charles Darwin, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Émile Reynaud, and the Buddha. Beaton builds a praxinoscope – Reynaud's own invention – to bring them back to life.

Directed by Jon Beaton · Written by Jon Beaton

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Jon Beaton Himself

Make it a double feature

2h 40m together

Ship of Fools

Being There

A close match in mood and era.

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