Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Starring: Werner Herzog and Jean Clottes

CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS, a breathtaking new documentary from the incomparable Werner Herzog (Encounters at the End of the World, Grizzly Man), follows an exclusive expedition into the nearly... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: DVD
• Language: English
• Release Date: November 2011
• Rating: G (General Audience)
• Publisher: IFC Independent Film
• Director: Werner Herzog
• Starring: Werner Herzog, Jean Clottes
• Number of Disks: 1
• Other Video Info: Multiple Formats; Color; NTSC; Widescreen
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.5" x 5.3" x 0.6"

Customer Reviews

Worth watching, but struggles to maintain focus.

Jean-Michael Geneste, Director of the Chauvet Cave Research Project, takes us through the discovery and interpretation of what they believe we are seeing in a recently discovered Cave in southern France. We see the trouble gone through to seal the cave from the outside environment and the wearing of sterile shoes. However, they do not mind the effect of light or of taking sc-rapings. Some drawings date back about 30,000 years. We see them as a small film crew walking through. The lighting and angles are still professional. There is consistent thematic (violoncello, organ, piano, and flute) music in the background that is not necessarily needed but helps the different parts of the film be coherent. We get different interviews from professionals related to cave discoveries. Much of this is speculation on what the creators/artists were thinking. There are more than just pictographs displayed, such as skulls of cave bears. We deviate from Paleolithic Venuses to try and show what was happening elsewhere at the time. They also toss in ivory flutes from southwestern Germany. There is an epilogue about an artificial tropical biosphere created from exhaust water from nuclear reactors as a very loose connection to the original subject of the presentation. Even though the DVD presentation I watched is in 3-D and 2-D, I only watched the 2-D. However, I can see how 3-D would render a new dimension to the viewer. The presentation did not distract from a good 2-D presentation. This production is well worth rewatching to get a better look at the details overlooked in the first viewing. This is just a 90-minute overview of what can be a fascinating subject.