Ulrich Senoner, a 67-year-old former architect from Berlin, has made the ultimate escape from modern civilization by becoming a hermit in the Dolomite mountains of South Tyrol. For the past six years, he has lived alone in a small alpine hut at the foot of the Plattkofel mountain, trading the security of modern conveniences for an isolated, nature-connected, and archaic lifestyle at an altitude of approximately 6,725 feet.
Born in the Val Gardena region, Senoner was drawn away from his mountain home early in life to pursue opportunities in the wider world. He spent many years living in Berlin, working as an architect, and raising a family with his wife and two children. Even during his urban career, he carried within him the ideals of sustainable and resource-conscious living, principles that influenced both his professional work and personal life.
Six years ago, Senoner made a radical life change, having grown tired of the hectic pace of big city living. He yearned to return to the mountains of his childhood and youth, seeking a reconnection with his roots. He found his refuge in what he calls "Malga Futura," a small mountain hut on the edge of the Seiser Alm plateau. Despite living in what could be described as a paradisiacal environment, his daily existence is deliberately austere – yet he wouldn't have it any other way.
Senoner's mountain retreat operates completely off the grid, with no electricity, gas, or running water. To reach his home village of Wolkenstein in Gröden requires a nine-kilometer journey – a three-hour hike over mountain paths and forest roads. This isolation has led him to make increasingly rare trips down to the village, as he strives to live as self-sufficiently as possible.
His daily survival depends on his own resourcefulness and the land around him. Senoner grows potatoes, gathers wild plants and roots, and transforms these simple ingredients into basic meals. His only electrical power comes from a small solar panel, which he primarily uses to charge a cell phone – his sole connection to the outside world. Water comes from a nearby stream, while an old wood stove provides heat and cooking capabilities.
The harsh mountain environment presents constant challenges, particularly during the six-month winter season when snow blankets the area. According to his 23-year-old nephew Tobias Demetz, Senoner must collect enough firewood to survive the long winter months. Demetz describes his uncle as someone who was searching for something and has now found a sense of arrival, though he rarely speaks about his past.
Living in his hut allows Senoner to exist in harmony with nature and embrace the minimalism he believes is right. His nephew notes that Senoner enjoys experimenting with different approaches to survival, whether it's insulating the hut with hay or suddenly eliminating certain foods from his diet. He has even adapted to sharing his space with local wildlife – mice that sometimes eat his food supplies and an occasional ermine that prowls around the hut.
Tobias Demetz has visited his uncle regularly over the years, becoming increasingly fascinated with this radical lifestyle choice. This fascination eventually led him to create YouTube videos about his uncle's hermit existence, which evolved into the ambitious project of producing a full-length documentary film. Through meticulous attention to detail, the young filmmaker completed a 45-minute documentary titled "A penny weighs more than a soul."
Demetz has significant plans for his documentary, aiming for a premiere at an international film festival, either in Canada or at the Venice Film Festival in September 2026. While the film has been completed and edited, it's currently undergoing post-production work in Rome at a Cinecittà studio, where color correction will provide the final polish to the project.
The young filmmaker describes himself as a relaxed person with a grand vision that feels achievable. He believes in taking action and simply trying things, reasoning that otherwise you never know how far you might have come. His passion for filmmaking is evident in every conversation, and he credits the somewhat rocky start of the film project and the mistakes he made along the way as valuable learning experiences for future endeavors.
For Demetz, the project represents more than just a filmmaking challenge. He explains that through documenting his uncle's life, he has learned to see nature with different eyes and understand that one can be very happy with very little. This message forms the central theme of "A penny weighs more than a soul."
The documentary received support from the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, specifically from the Office for Film and Media, which provided assistance to Demetz. However, he was unable to secure funding from IDM (Innovation Development Marketing) because his project was already underway when he applied for support – a situation he views as part of the learning process.
Demetz also received help from various other sources, for which he expresses deep gratitude. His sister Magdalena Demetz contributed the film's musical score, combining her work on the project with her bachelor's thesis at the Zurich University of the Arts. Additional support came from Philip J. Pamer, Markus Frings, Roberto Cavallini, Martine De Biasi, Dominik Demetz, and many other individuals who assisted the young filmmaker, who would also welcome interest from potential sponsors for future projects.
