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Leading up to this year’s TIFF, one of the titles that garnered the most buzz was Werner Herzog’s 3D documentary Cave of Forgotten Dreams. Walking an obviously precarious line between genius and madness, Herzog has managed to craft a piece that transcends the documentary to become elegy for humanity’s first artists.

Located in southern France, the Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc cave, one open and accessible by early Homo sapiens contains the earliest form of art by means of cave paintings dating back 30,000 years. Due to a rock slide however the cave became shut off prior to our ancestors being capable of having the means to record the location or any sense of history. In 1994 a team of explorers discovered a small entry way into the cave and since then it has proven to be one of the treasures of human history. Access to the cave is extremely limited due to the toxic nature of the human breath which can erode the paintings which makes Herzog’s brief opportunity to view the caves such a unique experience.

What should be addressed first off is the use of 3D by Herzog for the film. Some might argue that this was gimmicky, however, the director addresses naysayers with a sly reference to the dimension and shape of the walls which contain these paintings as crucial to the design of each piece. The texture provides depth, and as Herzog notes allows for a type of “proto-movie” to be created, referring to the sense of motion that these early artists achieved in their work. It is for this reason that the 3D of the film becomes absolutely essential, Herzog’s camera is not a selfish one, in fact he recognizes the duty he is charged with by having access to Chauvet and intends to make the most of it.

The technical side of the film itself was extremely constrained due to the nature of the filming and as such cannot be faulted on behalf of the crew. Given the layout of Chauvet, visitors are limited to walking or crawling on a small two foot wide gangway with no exterior lighting. As such Herzog was limited to a crew of four who each had to perform a number of duties while filming and this can be seen in the final product as their inability to maneuver means the crew is in most shots. When the paintings are framed on their own however the images are startling and beautiful, especially on such a large screen and in 3D. The high degree of skill of these artists is astounding and it is difficult to believe that these paintings date back as far as 30,000 years, however, radiocarbon dating has in fact confirmed this.

It is understandable that many would regard Cave of Forgotten Dreams as an educational piece and little more than that. Granted it does educate, and as someone familiar with the Chauvet caves due to bland lectures in anthropology classes the film was a breath of fresh air. However given the nature of Herzog he does not craft a mere educational film fit for a museum. Instead he moves beyond the mode of documentary to craft an elegy for these artists from long ago in addition to lamenting over humanity itself. Rather than approaching these artists scientifically with recreations of what they look like, Herzog questions the scientists researching the cave about the souls of these artists and attempts to enter their conscience to properly understand their motivations. Even the postscript that accompanies the film is a poignant piece that might be lost on many. Instead of merely discussing albino alligators that now inhabit the area near the Chauvet cave, Herzog suggests that human evolution is approaching a critical juncture where the collision of different worlds and ecosystems is destroying the unique sense of place only a location such as Chauvet can create.

Overall the technical aspects and material in which Werner Herzog utilized for his film Cave of Forgotten Dreams is utterly perfect. Truly one of the most moving and relevant films of our time it is not to be missed.

Cave of Forgotten Dreams is showing at TIFF Bell Lightbox. Check their website for screening times and ticket information.

This review was first posted as part of TFS’ coverage of the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. Click here to view the original post.