I hadn’t seen Werner Herzog’s Cave of Forgotten Dreams since it was released theatrically, so I had forgotten how stunning and absolutely spellbinding this documentary from one of our master filmmakers really is. In exploring the Chauvet caves and the stunning artwork of more than 30,000 years ago left perfectly preserved on the cave walls, Herzog continues to be guided by his intense curiosity and musings of what it means to be human. The film’s philosophical ruminations continually draw a line between those of us in the present and our distant, cave-dwelling ancestors, and Herzog is just as interested in the individuals who study these paintings (not to mention his own tangents) as he is in the paintings themselves. The use of 3D here is stunning, getting us as close to experiencing what it must feel like to be in the caves – complete with simulated flickering torchlight – as possible. Getting to see the curve of the cave walls and the ways ancient artists used the natural formations to achieve dramatic effects. It’s a gorgeous documentary, one that is only amplified by Herzog’s distinct voice and style.