Richard Louis “Dick” Proenneke (May 4, 1916 – April 20, 2003) left mainstream civilization in 1968 at age 51 and built a log cabin out in the Alaskan wilderness using only hand tools. Proenneke had a past in the US Navy and worked as, among other things, a diesel mechanic at various locations in the US.
At Twin Lakes in Alaska, he then lived alone for almost thirty years. Proenneke went hunting, fishing, gathered his own food, and also had supplies flown in occasionally. He documented his activities in both texts and films.
’Alone in the Wilderness’ is Proenneke’s own documentary film, shot in the wilderness – starring himself. This is the first time anyone has so closely depicted this type of liberation from modern society. Many books have been written on the subject over the centuries, but R Proenneke was the first to use film and moving images to document what he was doing. Over the years, he has become an inspiration to thousands of people all over the world who yearn for the same kind of journey in life.
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English translation by: Sandra Novak, Perceptive
Left civilization at age 51 – lived alone in the wilderness for 30 years
