Prehistoric avant-premiere: how cavemen conceptualised cinema | History Calls | FULL DOCUMENTARY

Did you think the first movies were screened in a cinema? According to groundbreaking discoveries, our prehistoric ancestors may have invented the concept while drawing on their walls. Over the past 150 years, we have discovered many examples of amazing prehistoric art, most of which are fascinating representations of animals.

Today, a new reading of these paintings and engravings has revealed the existence of numerous cases of the breakdown of movement. A horse painting from the Lascaux caves in France, for example, is made up of many versions of the animal representing different positions of movement.

Director and archeologist Marc Azema extracts these individual images and displays them in succession, demonstrating how they play back like a cartoon.

Documentary: Stone Age Cinema
Directed by: Pascal Cuissot, Marc Azéma
Production: MC4, ARTE France, Passé Simple

[thewol]

Reminding one that the light by which these cave drawings would be seen would be produced by flames -- torches and floating wick lamps. How would such flickering light sources affect the images? Viewing the image with a lamp or flashlight that emits constant, unwavering light would have an effect on how the image appears.

[mariellouise]

Years ago when I first saw these horses with multiple legs they reminded me of Eadweard Muybridge’s photographs of a horse running. In the dark with a torch flickering, I believed that it was the invention of cinema.

[abacus]

26.08mins. '...the 8 legged boar...' The allover speckled effect is intriguing as is the fact that no contour lines are present. especially in the 8 hooves. The speckled effect also occurs in the many examples of hand 'prints' on cave walls.

[Ian-mjpt]

Absolutely wonderful and whoever did the art had a true talent. No matter what time period we in

[richardphilpott]

I think the clacking of flint stones (no pun intended) to generate sparks in a calculated sequence would be an effect worth investigating. Great film by the way. Thank You.

[jeffpagan]

They really were artists. So beautiful.

[mariellouise]

No mistakes. That would be belittling the artist’s achievements.

[davidmchale]

That was brilliant, thanks for posting

[MarceloOliveira-vjrb]

It is impressive and also intriguing how the drawing lines seem to belong to a mature and confident hand. These monumental drawings inside dark caves are in no way childish or immature. I wonder how primitive these people were IF they were!

[gkidd]

I could imagine with a naked flame and someone telling a story and pointing out images they would come to life plus an other person making animal noises at the back it would be pretty atmospheric 😬

[Cnsalmoni]

Imagine looking at the paintings with flames and after consuming a plant or fungal based hallucinogen.

[bethbartlett]

Outstanding! Absolutely a solid piece of understanding, from which there's far more to be discovered and realized. A far more valuable discovery than 1st conceived.

These works make a statement that can't be ignored: the Darwinian Theory falls short specific to Modern Humans. DNA studies have already resulted in findings that determined: "Modern Humans are a result of Intervention rather than merely Linear Evolution".

The "19th Century Theory based Paradigm and Linear Timeline" is not qualified to be used as Fact nor the foundation of fact. It should not be used as a Statement nor Tool of Measure for comparisons in determining the validity of any studies or theories. To do so breeches the "Standards of Science and Research" which prohibits using a Theory as Fact.

Clearly the Cognitive Functions of our Ancestors were every bit as Intelligent as we have today.

The ideology of "Cave Man" is highly inaccurate.

These Artists were Experts in their craft.

Beth Bartlett
Sociologist/Behavioralist
and Historian

[Andy_Babb]

This is the premiere? Where’s episode 2? Lol

[forestdweller]

This is pretty speculative and certainly not prehistoric cinema. There is a well known tradition in cave art to represent a group of animals in the same way. You paint one and superimpose the outlines of others leading from it. Another aspect to consider; We are shown these few works of art but they are incredibly rare. If they were truly an attempt at animation we would expect a lot more of them. We could propose that just 1 or 2 people in 40 thousand years of art production attempted this but that is really clutching at straws.
Another thing to consider; it is well established these cave people loved to depict as much of their favorite meat as possible. That would also suggest they are portraying an abundance of animals instead of animation/movement.

[crtpo]

But they could just be multiple animals of the same kind....

[crtpo]

Only someone that had never seen an animal in real life could come up with this ridiculous theory. They're depictions of herds of animals. Not a single animal in movement. All of the examples here show several animals lined up and viewed from an angled perspective, which would be what the person drawing would have seen. There is no example of movement in any of the examples shown.

[larryparis]

The projection of fantasy onto the works of ancient peoples. Don’t ruin the importance of these depictions with unskeptical, made up stories.

[gaelhillyardcreative]

What utter nonsense. I suggest you consult an artist who will explain the reason to you.

[obwan]

It needs to be seen with fire light flickering