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The writer and film director
FERRASSIE TV: “prehistoric” film production companyBased above the famous La Ferrassie prehistoric site in the Dordogne, FERRASSIE TV is an online publishing company which produces documentary films. We publish the www.albuga.info webzine, in French, English and Occitan. The magazine focuses primarily on the advances of research in the field of Prehistory, as well as burning environmental issues. In our view, discovering the sunken worlds of the so-called “Ferocious Ages” is a way of getting back to forms of harmony and equilibrium within our ecosystem, the Earth, which have been lost and which we desperately need to re-establish in order to survive. With this in mind, we have begun making a collection of films to give an insider’s view of Prehistory. A trilogy has already come out. “Dans ma Peau de Bête/In my Animal Skin” is about cave art, prehistoric tools and the origin of mankind. Shortly after its release, this trilogy earned us the active support of the Science et Avenir magazine which revealed the first opus in French-speaking Europe by publishing a DVD in their special issue on new perspectives on the history of mankind. It has won many awards in various festivals:
These films provide an opportunity for organising debates, together with highly committed scientists. The issues we address profoundly touch the hearts of the men, women and children of today. In just a few years, the humanist and forward-looking approach our films display has raised awareness among the public and has been accredited by distinguished scientists. Professor Yves Coppens, Jean-Jacques Hublin, Jean Clottes, Marylène Patou-Mathis and many others have joined us in our search for our origins, which is the theme of the third opus of our trilogy entitled “La Naissance de la Préhistoire” (“The Birth of Prehistory”). We are privileged to have been allowed access to up-to-date research into this gigantic page in the history of humankind, our Prehistory, and we are continuing to produce creative documentaries, bearing in mind the latest discoveries which valiantly bring back to life the precious archives of the dazzling adventure of our living world.
Sophie Cattoire 
LE DERNIER PAYSAN PRÉHISTORIEN 
I was born in Lille, I grew up in the Dordogne and I studied in Bordeaux where I obtained my DUT (Diplôme Universitaire de Technologie) in journalism in 1984. I wanted to be a journalist and travel around the world, see things, listen to things, learn all by myself: my university in real life. I got precious on-the-job training working for the France 3 television channel where I learnt how to react quickly with the other members of my team and skilled professionals. I travelled extensively in different countries and different worlds. I was often shocked by the sorrow and despair and often amazed by the warmth and sparkle in certain eyes. Afterwards, furthering my career, I decided to use my skills to produce documentary films in order to spend more time with those very special people who bring meaning to my life. My “extravagance”: living with them, more or less and as long as necessary. Writing with my camera undeniably rough drafts, capturing out of the blue those ordinary day-to-day moments when everything’s just perfect. The name of the organisation with this loving and reverent intimate approach is Ferrassie TV, a film production company in the Périgord Noir. My secret weapon: lengthy journalistic fieldwork wherever I need to be. It enriches the www.albuga.info webzine and my imaginary world. Ever eager to learn, I advance, approaching my subjects in a detailed and careful way. The first documentary film done in this manner took months and months to make, in order to do justice to a fine and fun-loving dignified man: LE DERNIER PAYSAN PRÉHISTORIEN (THE LAST FARMER-CUM-PREHISTORIAN). This is the man who, at each showing of the film, dazzles us in his Sunday best, waving to the public as if in the Tour de France. “Far from a chaotic and nonsensical world, you are my hero down in your cave.” I pay tribute to him. The children, the women, the peasant farmers, the prehistorians… everyone wants to give him a hug when the lights come back on. I’ve done my job as the go-between. I’ve left the trace of a fine person here on Earth. And I will go on doing so. Sophie Cattoire
In view of her journalistic work to make Prehistory accessible to everyone, the Dordogne Press Club proclaimed Sophie Cattoire winner of the “Woman of the Year” award in the Culture and Heritage category.
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