The Last True Hermit Survived Alone for 27 Years

For decades, the residents of Maine’s Kennebec Valley believed that the North Pond Hermit was a myth. According to local lore, a hermit had been living undetected in the woods since the 1980s; every so often, he would break into seasonal cabins to steal food and other resources. But no one could prove the hermit’s existence—if he was out there, he had taken great pains to guarantee his isolation.

Then, on April 2013, a man was arrested in the deep woods of Maine. His name was Christopher Thomas Knight. According to societal records, he didn’t exist. For 27 years, he had camped out in the forest, surviving on meager supplies he’d burglarized from houses in the area. He endured winter temperatures of 20° F. Every morning, he watched the sun rise over the foggy valley he called home. He hadn’t had a single conversation with another person for nearly three decades. Read more

"The Hermit" was directed by Lena Friedrich. It is part of The Atlantic Selects, an online showcase of short documentaries from independent creators, curated by The Atlantic.

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