vrijdag 29 april 2016

Altamira: the cave, the art, the movie

Once upon a time, 30 kilometers west of Santander,
near the village of Santillana del Mar, some 35000 years ago....

Perhaps you remember from early school years mentioning of Lascaux (France) and Altamira (Spain). Famous for their paint art, some of the very first human art.

As I walked the Camino del Norte in 2013, and as I also studied history with special interest in pre-history, how could I not visit this cave on the occasion.
Well, I saw the closed gate of the original cave, but visited the replica. 
By the way, the cave of Lascaux is also closed for public and rebuild in a replica.

  
(Photo: P Kouwenberg)

This movie by Unesco shows the Altamira site.
(2:50)






In 2016 a movie was published on the discovery and the man who devoted his life to the cave.

Directed by Hugh Hudson,
featuring Clément Sibony, Rupert Everett, Javivi, Antonio Banderas


Storyline on imdb:
"Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola y de la Pedrueca, in 1868, accidentally discovered Patheolitic paintings with the help of a hunter named Modesto Cubillas inside Altamira's caves, located in Cantabria, north to Spain. Trying to expose their discovery to the academic world for that they study the paintings, Sautuola crashed against the skepticism and discredit of all experts, who claimed that the caves were false and the paintings made for the own Sautuola, in a effort to get rich. Looking for the truth, Sautuola was the rest of his life fighting to prove that those paintings were real, trying to restore his innocence from the accusations of falsehood launched against him. Written by Chockys"



2016
Trailer Altamira
(1:42)


Music by Mark Knopfler
Here you can hear the title track
(2:58)



A commenter on imdb states that original discovery was done by the poor shepherd Modesto Cubillas. The movie however emphasizes Marcelino Saenz de Sautola. He's the owner of the land, also a powerful family (co-owning Banco Santander) and co-sponsor of this movie.


A full documentary on 

Prehistoric Europeans. People Who Invented Art
Not only cave drawings, but also a flute ;-)

(56:52)