A solitary wolverine perches on a tree stump, its mouth slightly ajar. The creature's dense, dark fur stands out against the blurred forest backdrop, with bare branches subtly visible to the left.
A solitary wolverine lounges on a log, its head resting and front paws stretched forward. The dense, dark fur stands out against the wood, with long claws clearly visible. The blurred background intensifies the focus on this rugged creature.
A wolverine, with dark fur and a distinctive mask-like face, confidently stands on a rugged terrain dotted with moss and grass. The background reveals rough, gray stone kissed by sunlight filtering through the trees.

Wolverine – One Tough Mother

Nature & Wildlife·1 x 50 min·Completed

Follow Freya, a fierce wolverine, as she survives a harsh wilderness, battles predators, and raises her young against all odds in this stunning nature journey.

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Genre
Nature & Wildlife
Duration
1 × 50 min
Definition
4K
Audio
5.1
Status
Completed
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Synopsis

An immersive look into the life of one of the world’s most fabled and iconic species. Set in the wild forests of ‘No-man’s-land.’

Glamorised by Hollywood and villainised by ancestral folklore, the wolverine is both a fabled icon of the Northern Hemisphere and a modern-day superhero.

Our heroine of this story, Freya, is a 3-year-old female wolverine – shy and elusive and rarely caught on camera, she inhabits a mysterious and unforgiving world – deep in the rugged wilderness between Russia and Finland. Freya thrives in ‘No-man’s land’ – so named for good reason; it’s a remote and remorseless habitat; no man could survive here.

In this unique and intimate blue-chip natural history documentary, we show how Freya is built for this landscape, armed with special adaptations that maximise her survival success; weatherproof fur, ‘snowshoe’ paws, specialised teeth and claws that carve through ice, agility, stamina and most importantly the grit and tenacity that is characteristic of wolverines – both young and mature.

As we journey through a year in her life, Freya’s story unfolds in stunning 4K imagery. Set against the ever-changing backdrop of her visually captivating environment, her narrative is a chronological rollercoaster of events, often motivated by the visual feast of seasons. Each season brings with it a new set of challenges, opportunities and milestones which she must face head on – adapt to or die.

Documenting her battles against the harshest conditions and some of the fiercest predators, mostly much larger than her, Freya showcases her acute set of instincts, incredible skills, courage and perseverance. Her competitors for food and territory are wily wolves and massive bears – but she is wolverine and not daunted by her foes. She’s carved out a niche in this hostile land all alone and she’s determined to master her territory.

But a whole new  challenge awaits her this year; she has just become sexually mature and as  a first-time mother, how will she cope when her two young kits arrive?

This journey is hard-wired into her DNA, rearing her young to independence through the harshest  winter conditions. If she fails, it’s a bitter pill to swallow; climate change and  habitat loss are threatening her very existence and every kit counts.
If she succeeds, it  will stand testament to the true grit which makes up every ounce of her being. She’s uniquely equipped to face all the challenges the harsh wilderness throws at her, but will her arsenal of superpowers be enough?
Probably – for she is Wolverine!

Team

Written by Kira Ivanoff
Directed by Alexander Sletten
Executive producers Martin Mészáros, Sabine Holzer
Production companies Produced by Red Rock Films International for Smithsonian Channel and Terra Mater Factual Studios in association with ZDF/ARTE, NHK and NRK

Awards & Recognitions

Hamburg, Germany European Wildlife Film Awards Official Selection 2025
Olomouc, Czech Republic AFO Academia Film Olomouc Official Selection (Category: International Competition) 2022
WCSFP - World Congress of Science & Factual Producers 2022 Buzzies Awards Official Selection (Category: Best Natural History Long Format) 2022
Namur, Belgium FINN - Festival International Nature Namur Official Selection 2022
Rotterdam, Netherlands WFFR - Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam Official Selection 2022
Lihula, Estonia MAFF - Matsalu Nature Film Festival Official Selection 2022
Eckernförde, Germany Green Screen - Internationales Naturfilmfestival Eckernförde Nomination (Category: sh:z Audience Award) 2022
Ludwigsburg, Germany NaturVision Filmfestival Nomination (Category: German Wildlife Film Award) 2022
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