Arne Edvard Sucksdorff ( 3 February 1917 , &ndash; 4 May 2001 ) was a Swedish film director , considered one of cinema 's greatest documentary filmmakers . He was particularly celebrated for his visually poetic and scenic nature documentaries . His works include '' Pojken i trädet '' ( '' The Boy in the Tree '' ) and the Academy Award-winning '' Människor i Stad '' ( '' Symphony of a City '' ) . Perhaps Sucksdorff 's most widely admired work was the internationally acclaimed '' Det Stora Äventyret ( 1953 ) '' ( '' The Great Adventure '' ) about a year in the outdoors told in semidocumentary fashion from the viewpoint of a farmboy . It is noted for its remarkable photography and authentic scenes of nature , and its appeal to children for its story of domesticated otters . Sucksdorff also appeared as an actor in this film , portraying the father , while his real-life son is an actor as well . The film won the International Prize at the 1954 Cannes Film Festival and the Big Silver Medal ( Documentaries and Culture Films ) at the 4th Berlin International Film Festival
4th Berlin International Film Festival
4th Berlin International Film Festival
Arne Sucksdorff