The Arc of Oblivion

Movie · Documentary

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 fields of science, culture and art – including documentarians Werner Herzog and Kirsten Johnson – The Arc of Oblivion reveals how nature inspires the human drive behind filmmaking.

2025 · 1h 45m
  • 100%
Starring Werner Herzog
Director Ian Cheney

Trailers

  • The Arc of Oblivion
    Documentary

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Cast & Crew

  • Werner Herzog
    Self
  • I‌C
    Ian Cheney
    Director
  • M‌D
    Meredith DeSalazar
    Producer
  • M‌P
    Manette Pottle
    Producer
  • R‌T
    Rebecca Taylor
    Producer
  • Greg Boustead
    Producer
  • J‌H
    Jessica Harrop
    Producer
  • Werner Herzog
    Producer
  • R‌M
    Robyn Metcalfe
    Producer
  • I‌C
    Ian Cheney
    Writer

About

The Arc of Oblivion

Documentary

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 fields of science, culture and art – including documentarians Werner Herzog and Kirsten Johnson – The Arc of Oblivion reveals how nature inspires the human drive behind filmmaking.

100%

TOMATOMETER
Average 7.9
Reviews 17
Fresh 17

Information

Studio
Wicked Delicate Films
Released
2025
Run Time
1 hr 45 min
Rated
Unrated
Region of Origin
United States
© 2023 Wicked Delicate Films LLC

Languages

Original Audio
English
Audio

English (United States) (AAC)

Subtitles

English (United States) (CC)

Accessibility

Closed captions (CC) refer to subtitles in the available language with the addition of relevant non-dialogue information.
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Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Botswana
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cape Verde
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger (English)
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uganda
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Zimbabwe

Asia Pacific

  • Australia
  • Cambodia
  • Fiji
  • 香港
  • Indonesia (English)
  • 日本
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
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  • Malaysia (English)
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Mongolia
  • New Zealand
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  • Thailand
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  • Vietnam

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