Introduction

Abstract

Cave of Forgotten Dreams, directed in 2010 by Werner Herzog, is an extraordinary 3D film of the Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc cave paintings in Southern France. He brought state-of-the-art technology to the graffiti traced on the grotto walls around 30,000 years ago at the height of the Upper Palaeolithic period, breathing new life into those ancient images by recreating them in 3D. The film becomes increasingly intriguing as the exploring camera brings into focus the artists’ intention, an attempt to communicate a sense of movement. There are approximately 100 drawings in the Chauvet cave, representing 13 species of animals, including horses, lions, bears, and panthers. Many of these drawings are not simply static reproductions of an anatomical form; there are scenes that communicate dynamism, action, and purpose. The series of images depicting lions hunting a herd of bison in flight capture the bodily dynamics of both and tell a story—a story that could well be an allegory of the human condition.

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