A philosopher's cabin at 1500 meters holds the secrets to saving Earth—no aliens required.
On 1500 metres above sea level, on the slope of the mountain Hallingskarvet, stands "Tvergastein', the cabin of Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess. In his life he has spent nearly 12 years in this hut, where he wrote several books and essays on philosophy and ecology. In this film, Naess tells about the concept of 'deep ecology', which was first introduced by him in 1973. One of the basic tenets of deep ecology is that nature has a value in itself, apart from its possible use value to humans. Next to being a famous mountaineer, Naess has been a longtime activist in the environmental movement. He gives an inspiring account of his participation in blockades to prevent the Alta river in northern Norway (the area of the Sami, an indigenous people) from being dammed.
Cinematography
Hallingskarvet's brutal beauty makes you forget humans exist.
Writing
Naess explains complex ethics like he's chatting over tea.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Naess coined 'deep ecology' in a 1973 paper, then spent decades regretting how academics turned it into jargon soup.
The Alta controversy (1979-1981) remains Norway's largest civil disobedience; Sami activists later criticized Naess for centering himself.
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