Lifeline

Each year, thousands of people in the small northern town of Alta enter the salmon lottery, where seven hundred winners receive an 18-hour fishing license. This event, known as Døgnet (“The 24 Hours”), is a beloved tradition that brings together friends and families across generations. Here, salmon fishing is more than a pastime – it’s a cultural bond that ties people to one another and to their roots. The Alta River serves as a lifeline, connecting past and future, with the wild salmon as both a literal and symbolic source of life.

The film follows deeply personal stories of local fishers and families, capturing a ritual that binds generations. Lifeline portrays a community striving to preserve its identity amid mounting global pressures. This is not only the story of a river under threat, but of a people’s enduring relationship with it. What is truly at stake when a species goes extinct?