Antonio Banderas is a Spanish Archaeologist in Trailer for Finding Altamira

Posted on August 7, 2016

Antonio Banderas stars in the first trailer for Finding Altamira. He plays Spanish archaeologist Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola who discovered the famous cave paintings of Altamira in 1875. The paintings are from the Upper Paleolithic Age and are the first rock art from that period was discovered. The cave is covered in incredible paintings of bison, deer, horses and the hands of humans in vivid colors. Sautuola and his daughter were amazed by the find. Sautuola immediately recognized that the painting were around 10,000 years old. But he didn't anticipate the reaction from the Catholic Church.

Sautuola was ridiculed and attacked by both scientists and the Catholic Church when he published his findings and how old he believed they were. Creationists were especially furious with his timeline. He was accused of faking the paintings in the cave.

Eventually the cave was recognized for the incredible archaeological treasure that it is and there is a museum now. The cave was closed and airtight for thousands of years, which is why it is so well-preserved. Unfortunately, the steady stream of visitors lead to an increase in carbon dioxide from their breath and the paintings began to degrade. But they built a perfect replica of the cave that can still be toured. The originals are only accessible with special permission.

The film tells Sautuola's story and the effect that his discovery had on his family and his life. Directed by Hugh Hudson (Chariots of Fire, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes) the film also focuses on the tension between science and faith. Also starring in the film are Rupert Everett, Clement Sibony, Irene Escolar and Nicholas Farrell.

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