The Alps are a vast natural ecosystem, but they are also the most inhabited of the world’s great mountain regions and one of its main recreational and tourist areas. This means that the importance of the Alps stretches well beyond their geographical boundaries and the borders of the eight Alpine states. The Alps are an open-air laboratory, a place where we can observe the dynamics between tradition and modernity. This film illustrates their importance in helping us to understand the complex social, economic and political relations that govern how an area changes on a range of levels.