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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 Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Pat 8h It was interesting and I liked feeling kind of like I was there in the cave with them. Some times the music was too much. I took my 7 year old grandson he appreciated it but his favorite part was the live crocodiles at the end See more Erick 21h I've been waiting years to see this in the theater. Absolutely beautiful experience. See more Jose A 1d Deeply a magical experience . See more Avery 1d the 3D aspect gave the cave so much texture, a real spectacle See more Giovanni J 3d Seeing this cave and paintings from hundreds perhaps several thousands of years ago is truly incredible. Definitely see it in IMAX if you can. This more documentary style so can be a bit slow at times. Definitely some unexpected humor in a somewhat dry subject (archaeology) but nonetheless worth watching if you're into documentaries. See more Erik 4d Seeing this in IMAX 3D was not what I expected, but gave amazing depth to the Chauvet Cave paintings. As usual, Herzog keeps us on our toes, asking us to consider both our similarities and yet how alien we are to the original Ice Age artists and the world they lived in. It's a film that stays with you long after watching. See more Read all reviews
Cave of Forgotten Dreams

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Cast & Crew

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Werner Herzog

Director

Werner Herzog

Narrator

Werner Herzog

Writer

Peter Zeitlinger

Cinematographer

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Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Poster Art Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010) Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010) View more photos

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