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Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Play trailer Poster for Cave of Forgotten Dreams G 2011 1h 30m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
96% Tomatometer 136 Reviews 73% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
In this documentary, filmmaker Werner Herzog and a small crew are given a rare chance to film inside France's Chauvet Cave, where the walls are covered with the world's oldest surviving paintings. To preserve the art, people are allowed to enter the site for only two weeks a year. Examining the 30,000-year-old drawings, Herzog discusses how the artwork represents humanity's earliest dreams with scientists and art scholars conducting research at Chauvet.
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Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Cave of Forgotten Dreams

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Critics Consensus

Hauntingly filmed and brimming with Herzog's infectious enthusiasm, Cave of Forgotten Dreams is a fascinating triumph.

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Critics Reviews

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David Stratton At the Movies (Australia) 09/21/2011
4/5
Herzog has used the 3D process with tremendous creativity to make this very beautiful film. Go to Full Review
Paul Byrnes Sydney Morning Herald 09/21/2011
4/5
This is what 3-D was made for, puncturing the proscenium and taking us somewhere ''not yet offended''. Go to Full Review
Stephen Cole Globe and Mail 07/08/2011
3.5/4
It is our tour guide that makes Cave of Forgotten Dreams an often thrilling experience. Go to Full Review
Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review 06/07/2023
4/4
Herzog delivers a documentary so powerful that the result will leave the viewer more than just well-informed but transported by the experience. Go to Full Review
Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) 08/09/2022
A marvelous dream impossible to forget. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Jack Fleischer Battleship Pretension 03/24/2021
Cave of Forgotten Dreams: 3D is an interesting story, told by that quirky friend... Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Scott S Sep 3 Extremely boring, just watch the emoji movie instead. See more georgan g 07/17/2022 Absolutely fascinating documentary about the oldest found cave paintings. Being a lover of all things about cultural anthropology, this was RIGHT up my alley! See more 07/06/2022 Really dry documentary. Why are all cave drawings of animals. Interesting for 20 minutes and then it gets really hard to watch as there's not enough content to keep the subject going. See more 03/25/2021 Not even the amazing voice/narration of Werner Herzog saved me from making me almost fall sleep and making me feel there was not much to say about the topic that a 20 min museum video could have made in such a better way. See more William L 02/07/2021 Cave of Forgotten Dreams is a tale of two films. One is a neat documentary based around unprecedented access to a notoriously restricted historical site of international significance, one of the earliest surviving records of the dawn of human culture. The other is Werner Herzog droning on and on with whatever pseudointellectual philosophical bullshit he can think up. You can clearly see the man projecting his own ego onto some of the most important artifacts with vague musings that mean nothing ("What constitutes humanness?", and "What will these albino crocodiles in a nuclear power plant think of the cave paintings?"). It completely sours the experience, and I have no problem saying that despite the quality of the visuals and the fascinating subject matter, Herzog himself makes me actually hate the film. (1/5) See more 07/24/2020 It was interesting. A slice of prehistoric history. See more Read all reviews
Cave of Forgotten Dreams

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Movie Info

Synopsis In this documentary, filmmaker Werner Herzog and a small crew are given a rare chance to film inside France's Chauvet Cave, where the walls are covered with the world's oldest surviving paintings. To preserve the art, people are allowed to enter the site for only two weeks a year. Examining the 30,000-year-old drawings, Herzog discusses how the artwork represents humanity's earliest dreams with scientists and art scholars conducting research at Chauvet.
Director
Werner Herzog
Screenwriter
Werner Herzog
Distributor
IFC Films
Production Co
Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication, Werner Herzog Filmproduktion, Arte France, History
Rating
G
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 29, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 7, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$5.2M
Runtime
1h 30m