Man Vs Wild

Kodi Smit-McPhee tackles the wilderness in Alpha

• WHILE ON HIS FIRST HUNT WITH HIS TRIBE, a young man is injured and left for dead. Awakening to find himself broken and alone, he must learn to survive – that’s the story of Alpha, an epic adventure set in the last ice age and explores the story of the Solutreans – pre-historic early Europeans – which also sees actor Kodi SmitMcPhee taming a lone wolf also abandoned by its pack, as they learn to rely on each other and become unlikely allies while navigating a harsh wilderness.

GQ: What were some of the biggest challenges in making this film?

Kodi Smit-McPhee: As much as it was a big challenge and there was a lot of challenges in the movie for me, mentally and physically, and obviously they were there in the writing, that’s also what attracted me so much. I read every script I receive as a story – I see where it hits me in my heart and in my emotions and this one, ultimately, hit me in the most places, because of the genius of having a dialect that no one can relate to vocabulary wise, but they only can with their heart. That’s a worldwide movie. And, also, it’s a worldwide topic because it’s talking about the origins of our humanity. It’s also told in a love story-type way and a coming-of-age way, and a very brutal way.