La Vénus de Lespugue

Les Abattoirs are pleased to host the preview of the documentary "La Vénus de Lespugue. Joconde de la préhistoire" which will then be broadcast on France 3 Occitanie on Thursday 23 February at 11pm. The screening, in the presence of the director, will be followed by a convivial discussion.

Reservations required: https://lavenusdelespugue.eventbrite.fr

Synopsis of the film
The year 2022 marks the centenary of the discovery of the Venus of Lespugue, a 14 cm high jewel made of mammoth ivory. It was found at the foot of the Pyrenees by a doctor with a passion for archaeology, who was then almost blind! Dating from 25,000 years before our era, the sculpture with its generous curves, fractures and mathematical construction, has inspired artists such as Pablo Picasso and Alberto Giacometti.

With Nathalie Rouquerol, a prehistory historian who lives a few hundred metres from the cave where the figurine was found, we meet several personalities who will try to shed some light on the mystery of this sculpture, which is truly the "Mona Lisa of the Palaeolithic".

The director
Born in 1978 in Kyoto, Anaïs Enshaian lives in Bourges. La Vénus de Lespugue, Joconde de la préhistoire is her fourth documentary. Her previous film, which already briefly evoked the figure of the Venus, was the occasion of her meeting with Nathalie Rouquerol. She has also been editing fiction and documentaries for the past fifteen years.

The co-author
Nathalie Rouquerol is a prehistorian, graduate of the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), specialised in the history of prehistory, and for many years a CNRS associate member of the TRACES laboratory in Toulouse. She was director of the Aurignac Prehistory Museum for 14 years. She lives in Lespugue, Haute-Garonne.

Technical details
Title of the film: "La Vénus de Lespugue - Joconde de la Préhistoire".
Documentary film. Length: 51'45''. French version. Format: 1.85-16/9 frame. Sound: stereo.

Produced by La Voie Lactée and Le Lokal Production. With the participation of France Télévisions.

With the participation and support of the CNC, the Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée Region, and Toulouse Métropole. Based on an original proposal by the Conseil départemental de la Haute-Garonne.