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EXMYSTIKA the Core of the Cornucopia

A misunderstanding creates the myth of an object made of animal keratin

Since early antiquity, the cornucopia has fascinated people with the idea of abundance without end. Even the authors of the early traditions do not agree on what exactly the horn is. According to the texts, the animal head ornament comes either from a goat or from a bull. Yet no horn has the size to hold fruit, vegetables and sheaves of grain in such quantities. EXMYSTIKA exposes the core.

  • Pierre Dietz
    Director
  • Pierre Dietz
    Writer
  • Pierre Dietz
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    2 minutes 55 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 26, 2026
  • Production Budget:
    200 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Germany
  • Country of Filming:
    Germany
  • Language:
    English, French, German, Italian, Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Pierre Dietz

Pierre Dietz
Short Biography

Born on 31 December 1963 in Rüsselsheim.

Pierre Dietz works as an animation designer at Hessischer Rundfunk as well as a historian and filmmaker. His work combines historical research with visual reconstruction and documentary storytelling.

His professional career begins in print production as co-owner of an offset printing company and leads through his role as an art director in an advertising agency into the media field. These stages shape his design approach, his visual precision, and his ability to structure complex content with clarity.

His later work in journalism and photography further refines his sense for composition and narrative focus.

Today, his work centres on the analysis of historical sources and their cinematic realisation through visual reconstruction, often exploring overlooked perspectives on antiquity for an international audience.

Further information: www.pierre-dietz.de

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The True Core of the Cornucopia continues my attempt to examine well-known traditions without treating later interpretations as unquestionable facts. Rather than beginning with established explanations, I return to the earliest surviving sources and compare them with geography, genealogy and the practical realities of everyday life.

The cornucopia is usually understood as a miraculous object capable of producing unlimited abundance. Yet the ancient authors already disagree about its origin. Instead of harmonizing these contradictions, I asked whether they preserve the traces of a historical misunderstanding. The reconstruction presented in this film follows that possibility and proposes that the famous symbol developed from a combination of ceremonial headgear, human activity and the exceptional fertility of a real landscape.

My intention is not to diminish mythology, but to demonstrate that myths often become even more fascinating when viewed through the lens of historical reconstruction. If a seemingly supernatural tradition can be explained by human actions without losing its narrative power, a new perspective on antiquity emerges.

Like every episode of EXMYSTIKA, this film invites viewers to question familiar assumptions and to rediscover the ancient world through careful observation, source criticism and visual reconstruction.