The film tells the story of Chauvet cave in France that has the oldest prehistoric art, preserved well for 37,000 years because it was inaccessible for tens of thousands of years. It was discovered in the mid 1990's by accident, and soon after closed for the public for ever.
There are about 350 caves in France and Spain with similar art, but none as old.
Werner Hertzog was given permission to visit and shoot in there for 4 hours only. The cave is only open one week in a year for scientist and researchers.
He talks throughout the film, we hear his ruminations about the meaning of the drawings and his feelings as he walks in this ancient, deserted place of human worship. Sometimes his questions are completely out of the scope of the scientists he is interviewing, but they are kind and try to answer his inquiries with a sense of humour to the best of their abilities.
What is striking, what stays with us after seeing this, is the effective way those people were able to represent their appreciation of the natural environment in which they lived, how well they used the minimal means they had at their disposal to leave traces of their minds and way of life for us.
They are referred to as primitive people, but when you look at a galloping beautiful horse or a hunting lion which no longer exists, there is nothing primitive about it, only sublime, delicate beauty.
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