Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Werner Herzog in 3-D!

As if Werner Herzog needed another reason to feel good about himself and his career, it seems the filmmaker has decided his next project will be in 3-D, making it probably the first non-concert related documentary to attempt the feat.

Herzog's film will focus on the Cave of Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc in Southern France, a recently discovered treasure containing the earliest known cave paintings (dating back at least 30,000 years). More impressive than his 3-D venture is the access he's been given to the site, which has refused any visitors except scientists because of the fragile nature of the cave. Just how exclusive is this cave? There are rumors the renown filmmaker was only granted three hours to film inside!

But I digress, with the 3-D craze sweeping Hollywood, it was only a matter of time before a director tried to include it in the documentary genre, so I'm actually quite glad Herzog will be the first to attempt it. Say what you want about the man, but he is not into exploitation filmmaking or cheesy gimmicks so his careful hand should turn a 3-D idea into something really worthwhile (and no, the Hannah Montanah 3-D Concert does not qualify as 'quality filmmaking').

Head over to the Guardian to watch a few videos of Herzog talking about the project. Then tell us what you think: are you excited about this film? Will this project work in Herzog's hands? Discuss!

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