French Films! – Animated! – Thirty Two THOUSAND Years Old!

This came barreling in the other day… and having a fair bit of animation experience, I simply had to find out what this was all about.

No Bolexes or registration pins in sight or involved… and, rather excitingly, I should say – none needed.

Imagine you’re in a deep, dark cave… lit only by torches and fire pits; the smoke, the flickering light… perhaps some herbal assistance for extra oomph… top it off with some exceptionally clever art.

Wa La!

Movies, baby, movies.

Gaze upon these and dig it…

Uploaded by patgibbs1 on May 1, 2012

“Sequential Animation: the first Palaeolithic animated pictures – by Marc Azéma.

Stunning. Simply stunning.

I don’t know about you, but this stuff conjures up some very intense imagery…

And to those who detract – in any way – from the intelligence and capabilities of our ancestors, I think the following says it quite well enough…

I’d like to see all those who call man of that period primitive to all get out their pencils and paper and try drawing those animals as well as they did….  – SLAYER69

For perspective… and an enlightened bit of alignment for the mind, here is a film by a great director, filmmaker Werner Herzog, shot in France’s famous Chauvet Cave. I recommend watching it! The film and the subject matter are so inspiring… makes me feel proud to be human.

Published on Mar 19, 2012 by xP3AC3MAK3Rx

Cave Of Forgotten Dreams (2010)
Narrated and directed by Werner Herzog

Contemplative and reflective, Cave of Forgotten Dreams confirms Werner Herzog as one of the finest and most original chroniclers of the natural world. His abiding fascination with flight, which fueled films like Little Dieter Needs to Fly and White Diamond, finds counterpoint here as he goes below ground to document the oldest paintings known to man. Discovered in 1994, France’s Chauvet Cave offers a privileged insight into another time and place. While the walls feature artwork from over 30,000 years ago, ancient animal bones cover the ground, and layers of sparkly calcite coat every surface (paleontologists believe humans never actually lived there). In his narration, Herzog explains that he and his crew had to obtain special permission, could only shoot for a few hours during specific seasons, and couldn’t leave the designated walkways, so cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger (Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans) attached a camera to a stick to capture the painting of a minotaur and a woman that adorns a prominent outcropping.

[…]

Now y’all think about them apples.

Peace.