David Macaulay: Cathedral This film is an animated documentary about the building of a fictitious Catholic cathedral in 13th century France. Based on the book by David Macaulay, "Cathedral" references the real cathedrals of today, looks at the challenges of building such huge structures, given the available technology of the time, explains why they were of such importance to medieval life, and how they remain so today, 700 years later. Whenever I travel, I adore visiting cathedrals, when though I am not religious. Much of the film consists of cartoons, which I though was an interesting way to talk about such historical buildings. It's an interesting look at the incredible engineering skills and craftsmanship that went into the construction of France's famous Gothic cathedrals. "Even to our eyes, which have seen towering skyscrapers, indoor stadiums, jumbo jets and space shuttles, Gothic cathedrals still inspire awe," Macaulay says. I thought this was such an interesting way to think about why these buildings are so awe-inspiring, even though we have became so used to these things. And even more incredible than the fact that these buildings are still standing, they are still being used for their original purpose. Cathedral combines current film footage of the structures--including Notre-Dame de Paris, Chartres, Bourges and Amiens--with animated sequences illustrating how such buildings were erected. I found the animation to be a fun way to talk about these buildings, and also I am such a child at heart, I can always appreciate a cartoon aspect. He created characters and a story that give a human dimension to the information being presented. Macaulay, who co-hosts the hourlong program with Caroline Berg, goes well beyond the mechanics of the architecture to give viewers a sense of the medieval culture that spawned it. Overall, I enjoyed this film, even though at times was a little dry.