The mysteries of Cosquer cave

Over 35 meters below sea in France’s Calanque National Park hides the entry to one of cave art’s greatest masterpieces: the Cosquer Cave. Only accessible underwater, this incredible cave adorned with paintings more than 27 000 years old is little known, yet threatened by rising sea levels. In order for its preservation and to make it accessible to the largest number of people, the Southern Region (Provence-Alps-Cote d’Azur) is creating a full-sized replica of this hidden gem and its incredible paintings, which will be presented in 2022 in Marseille’s Villa Méditerranée.

The film follows this ambitious artistic and scientific project alongside the prehistorians, geologists, craftsmen and artists responsible for the reproduction of this underwater cave on land. In doing so, it retraces the incredible history of one of the most important decorated caves in Europe, and the only one to have survived the end of the last ice age in the Mediterranean periphery.

AWARDS

• Prix de la DRAC des Hauts-de-France – Meilleur film consacré à l’archéologie métropolitaine – 16^ème Festival du film d’archéologie d’Amiens – 2022
• Prix de la meilleure cinématographie – 11th AGON International Archaeological Film Festival Athenes – Grèce – 2022
• 2 Mentions spéciales dans les catégories Grand prix, Meilleur film d’Archéologie – 11th AGON International Archaeological Film Festival – Athènes – Grèce – 2022
• Award for the best underwater archaeology film – ARKHAIOS – South Carolina Film Cultural and Archaeology Film Festival – USA – 2022
• Special Mention for the best archaeological film – ARKHAIOS – South Carolina Film Cultural and Archaeology Film Festival  – USA – 2022
• Prix INRAP-TSVP du film « archéologie pour tous » – ICRONOS- 18^ème Festival International du film d’Archéologie de Bordeaux – France 2022
• Prix des lycéens – ICRONOS- 18^ème Festival International du film d’Archéologie de Bordeaux – France – 2022
• Prix UPSIDE – Université Paris Cité – PARISCIENCE – 18^ème Festival International du Film Scientifique – France – 2022
• Prix du Jury – RAN – 10èmes Rencontres d’Archéologie de la Narbonnaise – France
• Student’s Jury Award – 7^th International Archaeology Film Festival, Split, Croatie – 2022.
• Prix du public – Festival du film d’archéologie sous-marine de Collioure 2022