Alone in the Wilderness

Dick Proenneke, who retired at age 50 in 1967, decides to build his own cabin in the wilderness at the base of the Aleutian Peninsula, in what is now Lake Clark National Park. Filmed in color by Proenneke himself, the documentary traces how he came to this remote area, selected a homestead site, and built his log cabin entirely by his own hand. The film chronicles his first year in-country, depicting his day-to-day activities and the passing of the seasons as he sought to scratch out a living alone in the wilderness.