UNIVERSUM Saalbach Hinterglemm

Deserts in distant countries, local meadows and forests, the flora and fauna of the Alps, bodies of water and different landscape structures are brought directly into the living room by the productions in the main evening programme. A very special episode will be shown on Tuesday 21 January at 20:15 on ORF 2 and ORF ON to mark the World Ski Championships in February 2025.

UNIVERSUM presents
Saalbach-Hinterglemm - Where nature and man meet

It takes an incredible four years of preparation, one and a half years of filming and countless hours of footage to produce a series lasting just under forty-five minutes. What begins with an idea takes shape through the collaboration of many people and develops into a finished project over time. 

Under the direction of Therese Engels, who was responsible for the script and direction, a team of more than 80 people worked together to create the documentary. The Austrian filmmaker can look back on many years of experience and numerous productions all over the world. And yet - or precisely because of this - the episode in her home country is something very special for her. 

‘I was surprised and deeply touched by how diverse, adaptable and resilient nature is. Our world is highly interconnected - and humans are part of nature. That's why we need to treat nature responsibly, even in regions that are heavily characterised by tourism,’ says the director. 

Step by step ... from the idea to the finished documentary  

Gernot Lercher, head of the UNIVERSUM programme, reports in his speech at the first film screening in the Dieselkino cinema in Bruck that it has now become a nice tradition for the UNIVERSUM cameras to take a look at the venues around the World Ski Championships in Austria. The Glemmtal and the surrounding region have a lot to offer in terms of wildlife and nature in addition to the modern infrastructure. 

A whole four years of work went into one programme - and so, after an intensive planning phase, filming began around a year and a half ago. 

Therese Engels and her team travelled a lot. Meeting people, listening to stories. And so, step by step, an independent story developed. An episode of UNIVERSUM from the Glemmtal. Countless hours of film footage and special recordings made with the help of locals were conjured up by the camera, sound and editing team to create the finished episode.

The Glemmtal as a meeting place for people and nature 
Where people whizz down the slopes into the valley in winter, capercaillies compete for the hen's favour in spring. The snow-covered slopes turn into flowering meadows in summer and are a temporary home to cows, sheep, horses and co. Deer and roe deer frolic in the clearings of the ancient spruce forests and vultures circle high above the valley. 

What sounds like a fairy tale becomes reality every year in the Glemmtal. The animals have learnt to adapt. They are reclaiming their space. It's not coexistence - it's togetherness. The people of the region are aware of the special nature of their homeland and are actively working to protect nature. Compensatory measures are a matter of course, environmental protection projects a matter close to their hearts. 

Of bumblebee breeders, beaver babies and avalanche experts 
The impressive shots of bumblebees in the soil, amazing beaver communication and avalanche experts who are also committed to preserving the region's biodiversity in summer - many of the shots were taken in cooperation with people who live in the Glemmtal and the surrounding area. These are the residents who know and appreciate the local nature - and are happy to share their knowledge. 

Engels doesn't just show the Glemmtal - nature knows no boundaries. Personally, I find it very exciting to now know the stories behind the circling vultures that have been flying over the Glemmtal valley more and more frequently in recent years, to have seen the alpine newt up close and to have heard how beavers communicate with each other. 

The premiere - in style with popcorn & live music  
The cooperation between Interspot Film and ORF, supported by Fernsehfonds Austria, VAM and the province of Salzburg, was created in collaboration with the Saalbach Hinterglemm Tourist Board and was shown for the first time on 15 January 2025 at the Dieselkino cinema in Bruck. Many of the numerous protagonists were invited to watch the finished episode together. The cinema auditorium was filled with those responsible and involved from the region, team members from the production companies and guests of honour. The premiere was duly celebrated with live music, popcorn and good conversation. 

How wonderful that the coexistence of people and nature is being shown in a region characterised by tourism. That endeavours and heartfelt projects are given a stage. Christian Feiersinger, contributor to the UNIVERSUM series and local wildlife photographer, also succeeds time and again in bringing people from all over the world closer to the nature of the Glemmtal. His works have already been on display in an exhibition at the Heimathaus and have many admirers in the online community and in the Facebook group ‘Inside Saalbach’. 

And honestly? When I'm walking through the countryside with my dogs, husband, children and cones and I see deer watching us from the edge of the forest and not trotting away because they've been used to humans for generations ... I'm not always so sure whether WE are the curious observers - or THEY are ?

The programme will be broadcast on ORF 2 and ORF ON on 21.01.2025 - if you missed it, you can watch it here.