Beatus: The Spanish Apocalypse April 2 2015, 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm Frick Fine Arts Auditorium

The documentary film, Beatus: The Spanish Apocalypse explores the art, history and cultural ramifications of one of Spain’s greatest national treasures, the corpus of illuminated medieval manuscripts based on the 8th century apocalyptic commentary by the monk, Saint Beatus of Liébana.  Filmed on location in Spain, the documentary journeys through the towns, villages, routes, churches and monasteries behind the making of the 27 currently surviving manuscripts.

Professor John Williams, who has devoted over three decades to the study of the Beatus manuscripts, acts as the documentary’s guide and historian.  The film follows Professor Williams on this literal journey across Spain and figurative journey into the past, as he recreates the historical, cultural, religious and artistic context in which the 8th to 12th century Spanish monks lived.  Professor Williams also puzzles together connections from these works of art to present-day Spain, showcasing how much the Beatus manuscripts have shaped Spanish national identity and its artistic and cultural heritage.

Director Murray Grigor and Producer, Cinematographer, and Editor Hamid Shams will introduce the film.  Grigor is an internationally recognized documentarian whose previous credits include Book of Kells: Work of Angels?  Grigor and Shams’ other feature documentary film collaborations include: Infinite Space -The Architecture of John Lautner; Contemporary Day -The Designs of Lucienne and Robin Day; and Ever to Excel - Celebrating the 600 Year Anniversary of St Andrews University, starring Sean Connery.