original title:
Ercolano. Gli scheletri del mistero
directed by:
cast:
Michele Virgilio, Antonio Reina, Elvira Giannini, Francesco D'Ignazio, Fausto Sciarappa, Pietro Naglieri, Egidio Gulizia, Roberto D'Amico
cinematography:
editing:
set design:
costume design:
music:
producer:
production:
Doclab, France 3 Cinéma, La Compagnie des Taxi-Brousse, in collaboration with Discovery Channel, Rai Tre, Mediatrade
country:
Italy
year:
2002
film run:
50'
format:
colour
status:
Ready (02/04/2002)
festivals & awards:
On the 24th August 79 AD, the eruption of Vesuvius went down in history. The prosperous Roman city of Pompeii was totally eradicated, buried under a torrent of pumice. Several thousand of its inhabitants perished slowly and painfully. Less than ten kilometres away, the small, noble town of Herculaneum was lost under thirty meters of volcanic mud where it would remain forgotten for over a millenium and a half, only returning to light at the start of the 18th century. The two hundred years of digs that followed for over a millenium and a half, only returning to light at the start of the 18th century. The two hundred years of digs that followed uncovered the remains of only thirty-two bodies. So what happened to Herculaneum and its inhabitants? The mystery remained unsolved until the recent discovery of three hundred skeletons cast new light on the question.