Impossible Roads

The Highland Highway is also the territory of the Rascals, armed and dangerous highwaymen. It can also be the scene of violent tribal conflicts. Despite all these threats, this road remains a strategic axis for the country. It alone makes it possible to connect the highlands to the seaside towns. Freight trucks and passenger coaches use it tirelessly. Coffee – the main resource of Papuan farmers – and equipment for gas exploitation are also transported there.

Every spring, the icy mists of Lake Baikal mark the start of a grueling journey for the men of the village of Kholodnaya, on the northern shore of the lake. They must leave to supply the Evenks, reindeer herders who live isolated on the high Siberian plateaus.

Benares, in northeast India, is the most important holy city in the country. Every day, strange funeral processions converge on her, some coming from very far away. Train, bus, tractor and even walking, all possible means are used by pilgrims to reach their destination, along very dangerous roads. At the same time, every week, thousands of tons of wood arrive in the city from all over the country for cremations. This “route du bois” is a huge business shared by a few local families.

Hidden deep in the mangrove swamps of the Niger Delta lie hundreds of illegal refineries, “cooking spots”. It’s the stronghold of hostage takers and armed groups. For some ten years these men have been spreading terror in the region. Few cameras have been able to penetrate the closed worlds of these oil thieves. For one month, we managed to film the everyday existence of the traffickers.

Ladakh, the most northern state of India, situated at 5000 meters altitude, is one of the harshest environments in the world. It is connected to the rest of India by a perilous road that winds through the soaring mountains. This road is one of the highest and most dangerous in the world; here even the slightest mistake can be fatal. Adjay regularly takes this route with his mechanic Ali to deliver tar to the rest of India. They face icy and severely damaged roads, torrential rain, muddy traps and extreme fatigue several days a week for just 160 euros a month.