"Cave of Forgotten Dreams"

I couldn't resist posting a thread on this for those who are not aware of it. Chauvet cave in france is any ologists or laymans dream. It's not often you find something of this magnitude completely untouched, and left just the way it was 20,000 years ago. And to have it filmed in 3-D is complete eye candy for those of us who get giddy over such things.

Werner Herzog's new film "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" is a stunning 3D documentary about a cave in France that is home to the world's oldest known human art.

Herzog: You have to realize that, about 20,000 years ago, there was a cataclysmic event when an entire rock face collapsed and sealed off the cave. It's a completely preserved time capsule. You've got tracks of cave bears that look like they were left yesterday, and you've got the footprint of a boy who was probably eight years old next to the footprint of a wolf. Visitors can't step on anything, so you can only move around on a two foot wide metal walkway.

I thought this following quote was an interesting twist on the story, though quite coincidental. Or is it? Genetic memory? Collective consciousness?

In the Chauvet Cave, there is a painting of a bison embracing the lower part of a naked female body. Why does Pablo Picasso, who had no knowledge of the Chauvet Cave, use exactly the same motif in his series of drawings of the Minotaur and the woman? Very, very strange.

Picasso actually did a series of these, but I think this is the one being referenced.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Do you see your film as a kind of historical document?
Herzog: The historical or scientific document will be created by the scientists. I entered the cave as a filmmaker, as somebody who creates images, with my perspectives, fascinations and my instincts as a narrator. You have to activate the audience's imagination. If you are just giving them scientific results, they would forget the film in five minutes flat. But it sticks to you, as if you had been in the cave itself.

Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Here's a short teaser from YT. Release date March 25, 2011.



And more info at The documentary Blog

Where's Byrd when you need him?

ETA: Thought I may as well add some pics in here. These are some awesome shots.

Herzog also did that mockumentry on the lochness monster a while ago.

He should totally sign up an ATS account.

Nice OP.

There is already a thread on this here.

reply to post by SamTGonzalez

Figures. And all that searching I did trying not to duplicate. Thanks.

ETA: I'll let the mods decide whether our perspective is different enough to have two threads.

Originally posted by Pinke
Herzog also did that mockumentry on the lochness monster a while ago.

He should totally sign up an ATS account.

Nice OP.

He would most certainly be an interesting person to talk with. Maybe ATS can interview him sometime.

It's interesting that some of the sketches look as though the sketcher was using the smooth contours of the rock to form parts of the animal shapes. The Lascaux caves, also France have very similar drawings, some also in outline, but according to the experts there is millenium between them??

images.stanzapub.com...

I like this picture, it seems to show one artistic impression on the left side, mimicking the the impression on the right, well that's my er, impression.

reply to post by smurfy

Thanks. I'll have to do some reading up on the lascaux cave too. Some of the artwork in these caves is incredible. But then, I don't draw. So anyone who can, impresses me.

For what is worth, Byrd is not a "he".

But if you U2U her, I bet she would come by and chime in. Me? i am awaiting the video release.

reply to post by Klassified


Here is what gets me about these findings? Why is it that they say these are the first evidence of art 30,000 years ago?

There was a Lice Evolutionist on NOVA (PBS) this week talking about when the clothes lice evolved. He estimated the clothes lice evolved over 170,000 years ago yet in the same episode they showed 3.3 million year old needles that were made from bone. Can someone somewhere just admit that perhaps civilized man has been around for longer than 30 thousand years? Maybe more like 50 thousand or even 100 thousand?

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan

Thanks Texan. One of these days, I'll learn who(and what) all of you old timers are.

reply to post by packinupngoin

The key word here is civilized. Earlier cultures weren't considered organized with stationary cities, laws, etc. So this is why it is said "civilization" only goes back X number of years. Whereas humans themselves go back much further. Byrd or someone else may have to correct me on that, since I'm going from memory.

Not saying I agree with it though. But then, there's much I disagree with modern scientists on. But that's just me being cynical.

Originally posted by Pinke
Herzog also did that mockumentry on the lochness monster a while ago.
He should totally sign up an ATS account.
Nice OP.

Anything by Herzog is worthwhile,,,he is indeed a visionary. S&F to the OP.

Sounds fascinating, but I'll have to wait for the 2D release. 3D really makes me motion sick (as do films where the director decides to forgo plot and dialogue for "oooh! I can make swoopy shots of the scenery!")

I am curious about the petroglyph associated with it in the first post -- if genuine (and I'm not sure it is), the horseback riders surely date 16,000 years later (or even more) than the original art (4,000 BC is a generally accepted plausible first date for horse domestication -- and about 8,000 BC for the introduction and adoption of the bow in Europe.)

Anyway, I look forward to the release and hope someone will do a report on this for us!

Glad you could join us Byrd. I was hoping for your input on this. I looked into the glyphs photo you mentioned, a few different sites mention it as being in the cave. But now you have me wondering if this may very well be a mistake on the part of the media covering this. Below are a few links:

Archaeopop...
sott.net

The second link has the following as a caption below the image you referred to:

Messages from another world: The cave signs and paintings cover 25,000 years of prehistory from 35,000 to 10,000 years ago

I liked the movie. It wasn't a Herzog masterpiece though. The cave art is absolutely awe inspiring and stands on it's own. It could have been filmed by any experienced crew I feel. Seems that there are some bugs to be worked out with hand held 3d rigging. Parts of it were shaky and some panning shots seemed too fast for the format. A must see I think!

Originally posted by Moe Drama
I liked the movie. It wasn't a Herzog masterpiece though. The cave art is absolutely awe inspiring and stands on it's own. It could have been filmed by any experienced crew I feel. Seems that there are some bugs to be worked out with hand held 3d rigging. Parts of it were shaky and some panning shots seemed too fast for the format. A must see I think!

He does point out that it was incredibly awkward to capture some shots, given that his walkways were dictated by what was available.

The 3-d was not at all contrived, it helped to capture the unprecedented access the filmmaker was given to the site. The film is marvelous, and it is imbued with Herzog's heightened sense of spirituality. A must see for Herzog fans, those with an interest in the drawings, and aficionados of fine cinematic experience. Two thumbs up!
(PS...you get to see an atlatl in use!)

full length feature "Cave Of Forgotten Dreams"



i need to watch this myself before making any comment

reply to post by GezinhoKiko
While I appreciate you making this available, I would suggest to anyone who has an interest in this subject...or in films of Herzog's, that it may well be worth waiting for the DVD. I saw it (3-D) in a screening room associated with the Toronto International Film Festival (the TIFF Bell Lightbox, for those who know the city) and is was pretty majestic. From his website:

Herzog gained extraordinary permission to film the caves using lights that emit no heat. But Herzog being Herzog, this is no simple act of documentation. He initially resisted shooting in 3D, then embraced the process, and now it’s hard to imagine the film any other way. Just as Lascaux left Picasso in awe, the works at Chauvet are breathtaking in their artistry. The 3D format proves essential in communicating the contoured surfaces on which the charcoal figures are drawn. Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Fantastic film by a rare genius.

This one was even more beautiful. Encounters at the End of the World

Agree with the previous poster, outstanding film, wonderful look into the past, frozen in time