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The Arc of Oblivion explores a quirk of humankind: in a universe that erases its tracks, we humans are hellbent on leaving a trace.
Set against the backdrop of the filmmaker’s quixotic quest to build an ark in a field in Maine, the film heads far afield – to salt mines in the Alps, fjords in the Arctic, and ancient libraries in the Sahara – to illuminate the strange world of archives, record-keeping, and memory.
Playfully weaving stop-motion animation, spellbinding cinematography, and fascinating interviews from the director’s inner circle and experts in the field of science, culture and art – including documentarians Werner Herzog and Kirsten Johnson – Ian Cheney’s The Arc of Oblivion reveals how nature inspires the human drive behind filmmaking.
“A documentary about building an ark turns into a funny, thoughtful rumination on the nature of human preservation.”
“Compelling and intelligent... A very humanistic film.”
“Fascinating. A sweeping, often playful Odyssey.”
“Magical. Charming. Likeably offbeat and disarmingly self-aware.”
“Deeply philosophical, poignant, and profound.”
“Its embrace of the unknown is liberating, and leaves viewers space to draw their own conclusions.”
