La Bataille du Côa

Along the banks of the Côa river in Portugal lies an archaeological treasure: 1,000 prehistoric engravings out in open air. When they were discovered in the 90’s, they immediately caused a sensation among historians and archaeologists. They are scattered over a very large area that has not changed much in the past 30,000 years. Along the riverbed, on granite and schist plaques, men engraved signs that special weather and geological conditions have preserved for thousands of years. Today the Côa Valley is part of Unesco’s World Heritage.

An interview between the painter Pierre Soulages and the prehistorian Michel Lorblanchet about cave art and the origins of art. Pierre Soulages and Michel Lorblanchet explored the most important sites of prehistoric art together. On this day in 1996, they met in the Cougnac cave (Lot region) to admire some of its wonders. Jean-Luc Bouvret's film presents the exchange of powerful and unique perspectives on the first "artists" of humankind. During the visit, a profound complementarity of perceptions emerges between the painter and the prehistorian. Where one tries to analyze and understand, the other strives to "perceive/see."