The Arc of Oblivion

In a universe made up of forces that want to tear everything to pieces, why are people so determined to leave a mark on Earth? For his new documentary, filmmaker Ian Cheney delves into the attic of his own memory in search of the driving forces behind our human urge to collect.

His quest begins with building an ark on a field in Maine, aiming to preserve the archive of his own life from the relentless ticking of time. He invites a number of guests here to talk about their memories, including Werner Herzog. The lively documentary then travels all over the world: to salt mines in the Alps, fjords in the Arctic and ancient libraries in the Sahara.