WOLF

WOLF is a documentary series about getting back in contact with nature. It focuses on places in Europe where people and animals still live close to nature, often quite isolated from our fast-moving society.

Once upon a time we all used to live close to nature. But nowadays in our overdeveloped society we seem to have lost contact with nature. Too fast it seems to me. We lost comprehension of what used to be our natural habitat not even that long ago.

We feel at home in our concrete jungle we live in, but once in the real outdoors we are like a lost sheep, vulnerable and scared.

I wanted to feel nature again in every possible way and to experience the force of its elements.

Isolation is a key to getting as close as possible to this experience. Putting yourself in the most uncomfortable situation is what makes you use all your senses at its best.

I met the people and animals that still depend on nature and at the same time have to cope with its unpredictable character. Together with them I experienced what it is like to live together with or against the force of nature.

In search of isolation and wild nature I ended up in different corners of Europe.

To find these areas I decided to follow the path of the wolf, a feared predator known for roaming through vast areas of wilderness. Strong but shy at the same time, the wolf doesn’t show itself often to others, but people and animals living in the same habitat do fear him at all times. His presence can rather be felt than seen.

But throughout history this feared animal got hunted down by humans, or even extinct in some areas. Fairytales of him devouring an innocent little girl and the Christians blaming him for being the devil because he kills the lamb (Jezus) didn’t improve its reputation. After centuries of declining numbers the wolf is finally making a comeback and might even be reintroduced in areas where he has been extinct for over 300 years.

Following the path of the wolf, I rediscovered the wild nature and it’s inhabitants.

Nature can be overwhelmingly beautiful and unpredictably harsh, but nothing ever felt more intense then being caught by beauty and anxiety at the same time.