BEATUS - THE SPANISH APOCALYPSE depicts in startling imagery the cosmic battle between the heavenly angels and the demons of hell, as foretold in the Book of Revelation. John Williams, the author of the five volume Illustrated Beatus, takes us on a journey back in time through Spain to link these sublime and terrifyingly wrought depictions of the Apocalypse to the scriptoriums where many of them were made.

The abbot Beatus compiled his commentary on the last book of the Bible around 775, to prepare his fellow monks for the end of the world, prophesied to occur in the year 800. Although his original is lost the tradition flourished, leaving us a rich treasury of luminous Spanish art through the Romanesque to the early Gothic. In revealing close-ups these remarkable miniature paintings unfold narratively, driven by a hauntingly evocative score, and complemented by the commanding verses of John's revelations. Not only did Beatus create a tradition that would transform Spanish medieval art, but he also proposed that James should be the patron saint of Spain. This led to the building of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela followed by the Camino Santiago pilgrim routes.

A production of BBP Films and MUSE Film and Television.

2015 / 76 min. / DVD / color