SAM CAMPBELL DOCUMENTARY FILM
Beloved Author Of:
Loony Coon, Moose Country, The Seven Secrets of Somewhere Lake
The Story
The year was 1944. America was entangled in a total war—fighting in the Pacific and the Atlantic, drafting 18-year-olds into the military, rationing gas, food, and tires, and urging all Americans at home to grow victory gardens and protect the forests from wildfire.
Meanwhile, a middle-aged naturalist in Wisconsin's Northwoods — now almost forgotten — was quietly leading his own battle. Through his stories and presentations, Sam Campbell reached the hearts of boys and girls across America, offering comfort in turbulent times and encouraging families to reconnect with nature and rediscover eternal truths.
Voice of the Wilderness is the story of Sam Campbell—naturalist, storyteller, filmmaker, and animal whisperer. It is also the story of a cultural phenomenon that helped preserve many of the wilderness regions and great forests in America.
“There stood Zipper, a very young fawn, looking like an unfinished statue of Despair. She seemed to have got the wrong set of bones. They wouldn’t fit inside her speckled hide.”
The Place
Sam Campbell’s story centers around Three Lakes, Wisconsin, and the Boundary Waters Wilderness of Minnesota and Canada. The forests, lakes, wildlife, and canoe country that the Campbells called home were central to his life and work. Our film will bring these places to life, capturing their magic in a cinematic and engaging way.
“It was the first day of June…. Snow was falling…. Great gray flakes drifted down, so heavy they hit the ground with a thud. Little maple buds caught some of the flakes and made them into saucy hats.”
The Film Archive
Sam Campbell recorded hours and hours of 16mm film on his island, documenting his wild animal friends and the people who inspired his books. Enough of this footage remains to transport us back in time, allowing us to see the world through Sam’s unique perspective.
“Thinking mostly of the welfare of the camera, I held it high…while I sailed along with a young avalanche of loose dirt and stones, leaving little samples of my clothing and skin along the way…and the mountain lion family went bounding up the face of the cliff.”
The Legacy
Sam, often hailed as "The Philosopher of the Forest," bridged the gap between scientific exploration and an appreciation of nature's beauty. He brought joy to generations through his books and lectures, sharing the antics of beloved animals like Loony Coon, the raccoon, and Inky, the porcupine. Many who attended Sam’s lectures are still alive today, having experienced his stories firsthand.
From the 1940s through the 1960s, Sam and his wife, Giny, wrote over a dozen books and gave hundreds of presentations at schools and churches across the country. Sam narrated his 16mm films, introducing children to life in the Northwoods and its wild inhabitants.
Director’s Statement
Our generation of young people is facing an unprecedented crisis—marked by addiction, depression, and rising suicide rates. You don’t have to look far to see it—adults, kids, and parents alike are glued to their devices, seemingly trapped in a cycle of insatiable desires and digital distraction.
But what if rediscovering the natural world could be part of the solution? What if it offered a chance to reconnect with eternal truths, find God, and rediscover a sense of purpose?
Sam Campbell believed it could. And I believe his insights into life and nature are just as relevant today as they were in 1940s America.
This film is a journey to rediscover what truly matters.