On an icy track in the Kyrgyz highlands, A small van pulls away. In extreme climatic conditions, it delivers the fruits of happiness to the most isolated villages in the region. Here for the holiday season, kids
receive a single gift from Santa Claus. Those rare clementines they've been dreaming about all year. Santa Claus has come. To reach these villages at the end of the
world, drivers face a titan. The Pamir massif where the
largest glaciers on the planet. These peaks over 7000 meters have defeated
the armies of the fiercest conquerors. A no man's land where nature and its elements
unleashed allow only the strongest to survive. At the heart of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan is
wedged between two giants, China and Kazakhstan. From the small town of Osh, in the center of the country, A single high mountain road, 413 kilometers long,
connects this country to its closest neighbour, Tajikistan. Look, there's a truck that fell there, it's a ZIL. With only cold, snow and loneliness as companion.
Two men try to survive in this immensity. Go ahead, go ahead, we have to move on! How are we going to get out of this? It is cold ! Osh, the second city of Kyrgyzstan, Muslim since
centuries, houses the largest mosque in the country. When night comes, it is on a vacant lot that
our two adventurers provide themselves with goods. Chinese clementines purchased at
full price at a local dealer. The drivers hope to resell them
to the neighboring country with a small profit. The truck is overloaded with crates full of fruit. To protect them from the cold, simple blankets, a few plywood boards and beams that were ordered. The operation finished, the two accomplices
sink into the dark night. My name is Kouban and he is Duicho. Duicho is a pilot and mechanic.
Kouban, the eldest, is the captain. Faced with danger, the two men invoke the clemency of the heavens. It's our custom. We always ask
God help us on this distant road. And above all that we arrive at our destination without any problem. Outside it is -20 degrees. In the
cabin too, the heating does not work. This year it snows a lot. The snow fell very early, there is really too much. In addition, there is ice on the roads. It's cold and that's why he's sick. In addition, the clementines should not freeze. Come on, let's buy cigarettes and bread at the grocery store. May God keep you warm. Come on, thank you, see you! What are you waiting for? It doesn't open. Go see the other side. The polar temperatures froze the doors. The handle is blocked and I don't even have the key! If that happens to you on the road, you'll freeze! Take off your jacket so your hand can fit better! The door, it's still blocked, we can't open it. I want to go out. But I can't. It's a very old car! Inside the door is the cable
which holds all that is torn. The 4x4, a vestige of the Soviet era, seems out of breath.
But he will soon show all his qualities. The weather is deteriorating hour by hour. On the frozen road, the first trucks are already blocked. This is where the difficult part of our journey begins. There is too much snow! You can't see anything in this fog. If the fog starts already, I fear the worst for the pass. We pass the Taldik pass. This is the most dangerous pass. At 3600 meters in this blizzard,
it is the law of the strongest. There's a jam over here! At -30 degrees, the road is now a skating rink
against which the truckers fight as best they can. Well, what's up with you? We're stuck in traffic. But how are you going to get out of this? I do not know. I will try with soil. The cap must be between 200 and 500 meters. Everything is blocked because of the trucks in front which
can't climb. There's way too much ice. There is no clearing service! Nobody works ! Someone is still working. A roadmender. I can't clear things up on my own. We don't have any special equipment. It's so hard to take
soil when frozen. Aboard his little truck, Duicho tries
his chance, slips through and eventually passes. But that's not the case with this brand new jeep. This is Kuban and Duicho's old truck
who will try to get them out of there. It's cold and wet, it's terrible! We will try to help them. We will see. The antique van has many flaws,
but it's a real 4x4, strong as a tractor. Their good work accomplished, the two men leave. Meanwhile, another battle is engaged. It is at the foot of the mountains, in the valley, that a hundred riders are preparing to challenge each other for the Kok Borou, The traditional Kyrgyz game. Only the ****, the bravest men,
from the oldest to the youngest, are invited. We prepare a lamb carcass, we
kill it and remove the viscera. Then we sew the hole with thread and keep it in the snow, And then we can play on horseback with the carcass. Mr. Cosmos, funds the games out of superstition. He thus wishes to obtain the grace of
God to finally have an heir son. My friend Cosmos organizes this game to get
people's blessing to have a son. Because he only has four daughters. The goal is for the strongest man and horse to catch
the carcass. And the winner will be called Hercules. Only one man will win! And you know, drunk or alcoholic people,
they cannot participate in this game. Sometimes there are injuries, but it's never serious. To win at Kok Borou, some
riders do not hesitate to invest. I bought my horse when he was four years old for $10,000. Every year I win a prize. Duicho and Kouban did not have
the time to attend the Kon Borou, This time on their route, it's a broken down taxi. The motor belt is broken. Problem ! Problem ! It's the only word I know and I repeat it, I repeat it! She is torn! The belt is torn my friend! We'll take him back to the village, otherwise he'll freeze. And once there, I'll get it for 2000$
of repairs. This is a disaster for me! To pay for this, I'll have to make five
or six more great trips. This time again, the indestructible 4x4
Soviet gets travelers off the hook. At night, the temperature drops again. The taxi passenger is worried and Duicho is not going to reassure him. The blizzard is the most terrible on the
road. This is the cause of all the problems. It's -35 degrees, it's very cold!
Hope we don't crash! If you ever break down, what do you do? If I stay in the car, I will die of hypothermia. A breakdown in the icy night and it is certain death. Why are you asking me to hold the gear lever? Because there is a problem when I pass the second. If you let go, we don't stop and we have an accident. Ok, I got it. OK. Without heating, the windscreen is covered with frost and Duicho
can no longer distinguish the road lined with precipices. The temperature dropped to -37 degrees. To defrost the windshield, they bring out the ultimate weapon, this
old gasoline torch that looks like a flamethrower. I'm cold ! I'm cold ! Raw fire against the ice, enough to drive a few kilometers. But the frost returns, impossible to continue. Chilled, the small crew tries to find refuge. Hello, can you accommodate us? I have no room. My ten beds are occupied. Distraught, Duicho has no choice. We must leave. Along the chasm, they advance with a blowtorch. Finally, a house, some lights,
a farm in the middle of nowhere. The reception is cold. Inside, it's ten degrees. And then the traditional Kyrgyz hospitality prevails. Thank you my friend for welcoming us during the
storm. That we can wait for the end with you. You're ost welcome. It's our
Kyrgyz tradition of welcoming people. We saw wolves in the center of the village.
They were devouring a donkey. It's the season of the wolves that begins
with the first snows and the cold. Then they ate two lambs and
no one saw how they did it. Because in the steppe there is nothing left for them to eat. If Kuban wakes up to cold water. For the truck, you need the blowtorch. Because during the night, the engine froze. I watch the torch so that the van
don't catch fire. You have to be very careful. It runs on gasoline and heats up very quickly. Then the radiator has to be filled again. Drained of its water the night before to avoid freezing. And here we add boiling water
and then, God willing, we can leave. This is to start more easily. We also need to warm up the radiator. In the morning, the old Russian truck drives off,
direction the Kizil Art pass, at 4280 meters above sea level. The wrong road begins. Look, there's a truck that fell, it's a ZIL. In the precipice, he discovers the wreck of the
truck of a driver they know well. I hope there are no injuries
nor deaths. They are no longer there. Do you see the difficulties of the drivers? I don't know if he died. Only god knows. Kuban and Duicho, enter the icy desert of the Pamirs, Where even the snow does not hold, swept away by the violent winds. I'm tired, I'm sleepy and it's cold too. You have to accelerate to go up. Otherwise, it's screwed! We roll in zigzags, it's not to stall. The slope is steep and you have to climb it. Victory ! We are in the process of passing two tons through the pass. This engine is too strong! He is powerful, powerful! It's dead, you have to push. I already told you, we're screwed! We can no longer leave. It's crap! At this altitude, without oxygen, the engine
loses its power. But they have a solution. And now I have to change the carburettor. To ride at high altitude, I have to replace it. Here the van will not go up. There is not enough oxygen. To boost the power, we put another carburetor. And that's it, that's our life.
I'm going to put this carburetor in and that's it. Are you going to put the other carburettor back after the collar? Yes, you have to, it's to save
gasoline, this one consumes much less. It bugs me this carburetor! This rotten cabin tires me! We save ten, fifteen liters
gasoline on that, that's almost 14€. It makes a hell of a difference. Well, for 14€, we also lose 1h30! The maneuver was successful. Go ahead, go ahead, we have to move on! Go, drive! As usual, the door is blocked. Kuban continues on foot. We succeeded, we are progressing. It's difficult. We are many
too high. There is no more oxygen! That's the climb, you have to climb little by little. Go ahead, you have to go up. I have a headache. After an hour, somehow, Kuban
and Duicho finally achieve their goal. The Kizil Art pass. One of only two points
crossing between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Less than a dozen vehicles venture there every day. We arrived at the Tajikistan border. They will control us. This is the Kizil Art pass. Here is control
of border. It's customs. It is very cold ! It's 30 degrees. Customs officers have
too cold to leave their office. Duicho and Kuban finally enter Tajikistan. Finally the descent. Not for a long time.
The rear wheels spin freely. It doesn't work anymore. The driveshaft has a problem. Can you unscrew? Yes, this is it. Pass me the key for 14 and the key for 17. If we fix it, it's fine. Otherwise, we are stuck. Nuts fell off. It's the tree
which goes to the axle at the rear. We fix it and then we leave. A piece of the gimbal has come off. What a souk! He fell ! But where ? There is no nut. The tree broke. We lost a nut, a driveshaft nut. Have you found it? No, I haven't found it. We only have problems! Let it go ! You won't find him there. Without this part, the truck no longer has an engine brake. Kuban and Duicho opt for a solution
radical, freewheel descent. A hard time ! The rear axle shaft needs to be replaced. Will you be able to drive without it? May God protect us. We've almost passed the **** pass, it's almost over. Straight ahead is Murghab. Their life hangs only on the old brakes of the truck,
which does not prevent them from making their accounts. We have more than two tons of cargo. Each kilo costs 20 euro cents, that's 420€ in all. We have to buy the spare parts for 280€. What remains is for us. We will share it between us. 70€ for him and 70 for me. But Kouban forgets to add the price of gasoline, 300€ minimum. In fact, the two men will be at their expense. Go ahead, drive like this. After two days of travel, the two friends finally reach Murghab, the desert, perched at 3600 meters above sea level. Kuban and Duicho were born here. Here is the center of Murghab. You take my head! Roll faster! In Tajikistan, Lenin still sits prominently.
The poorest country of the former USSR republics, The average salary barely reaches 70€ per month. It's not frozen? We'll look at that. It's all frosty. It's normal, they are a bit cold. Well, the clementines still look good. We will sell them immediately at the market. Load them carefully so they don't crash. Traditionally, Kyrgyz people do
family business. Everyone has their role. It is Kouban's mother who will sell the clementines. I go to the market, I sell them for the New Year celebrations. In Murghab, building materials are too expensive, So it is in containers that the
market traders set up their shops. Finally the clementines. But for lack of money, customers do not rush. We need to sell them as soon as possible. Come over here and buy my clementines. It's very good and there are a lot of vitamins. It's not expensive, you have to buy them for vitamins. Yes, vitamins. How much is it ? 10 cents. We eat vitamins only once a year. My children
have had hepatitis and so I buy some as soon as I find some. Is it noon already? May God protect us so that we sell everything
before night falls. They come to buy. Here, clementines are reserved for special occasions. Do you have clementines? It's for a family celebration. - A kilo?
- A kilo yes. But quickly, please. This kilo of clementines will brighten up a traditional Kyrgyz meal. The celebration of a birth. Family and in-laws sacrifice part
of their budget for these gigantic feasts. A party to celebrate the birth of the first
born and for happiness to come home. It is the custom. The young mother, before
the birth of the child, stays with his parents. The newborn stays there for 40 days. Have put the child in the cradle and as soon as
the child adapts, they bring him back to the husband's house. It is the women who perform the rite
of the cradle in a room away from the men. We're going to put the child in the crib. Under the cradle, we put the carpet. So,
we put her in the cradle so that she sleeps well. The baby is bundled up with care to
resist the cold of poorly heated houses. Then comes the moment long awaited by the kids. The blessing with sweets, symbol
prosperity for the child and his parents. Finally, it's the turn of the clementines which will bring
happiness throughout his life. Her name is Aya. My grandmother, my aunts, my uncles,
everyone brought back their presents. They all made wishes for her to be strong and healthy. At the end of the meal as an offering, family
and neighbors share the food. We distribute the meat according to our customs. Here, for example the head, we give it to the
oldest and respected person, the stepfather. The coccyx, we give it to the mother-in-law. And what's left, we'll share among the guests. Duicho hit the road again. With his friends, he must find
fuel to heat the family home. We're going to pick up brushwood to keep warm.
We pick them up in the desert. My friends will help me. The road is long, 40 kilometers. Brushwood burns well. Because in Murghab it is very cold. The bushes are too small here. We will go further. By dint of being picked up, shrubs are becoming rare. Here, there are no trees. They don't
cannot grow, the soil is too dry. These are our trees. When it's cold, it's exhausting.
And when it snows, it's even worse. But we have to pick them up even if it snows, because
we have no coal and no money to buy it. 50 kilos of coal is 8€ and for 8€, I can
buy gasoline and bring brush. I resell some of it and make some money. The men each report their
brushwood to their family. Enough to barely last a week. Shrubs do not heat as well as coal.
Just enough to raise the temperature of the room a little. Business is not very good for Kuban and Duicho.
Clementines did not sell well. And what are we going to do tomorrow? You have to buy more gasoline. Right now, we're not making a profit. Too much money is spent because of breakdowns. Come on, let's make a profit! We must pray. The next day, they leave with a new idea in mind. They learned that Kyrgyz nomads sell yaks and that the meat could be resold at the Afghan border. At the moment there are Yaks for sale. One or two good Yaks. We're going to make a good profit. Yes, of course, we will find good customers. There are no telephones here. To check, you have to go there. And there, bad surprise. Herds of yaks were moved to other pastures. The last shepherds take advantage of the truck to join the tribe. We move four times a year. There are summer, winter and fall pastures. Four seasons, four roads. - He wants to sleep.
- Yes, he's sleepy. He's going to sleep in the van. Another detour for the old truck. It's far from the roads that they go
find the nomads and their herds. - So you've been married for two years?
- Yes. - Ah okay. And this is your son?
- Yes. Did you give him your father's first name? Yes, I called him Musine, like my father. During the Soviet period, the
Tajikistan controlled nomadism. The stockbreeders were parked on territories
demarcated, now semi-nomadic, They still live in these mud huts. We don't have keys, we forgot them. We're going to open the Kyrgyz way. And There you go ! It is open. It is the client who chooses his own yak from the herd. Which one are we going to take? We'll choose a big one. Where are the big ones? Here, take this one in the corner. It's a good beast, go ahead. How much are you selling it to me for? Me, it will be 380€. At this price, we gain nothing. 360 then. For 360, it won't cover gas costs.
We have to take them away. Sell it to us at 345. At this price, I am not making a profit! Stop, we helped you with the move
and we will still help you often. Well, then, I'm counting on you
next time to transport us. The men are already doing business and sharpening the knives. But the animal has not yet agreed. It's hard to catch him. He hits hard and fast. The yak engages in a final dance of death with the men. Watch out, watch out! We haven't won much since the beginning of our journey
and the resale of this meat will cover our expenses. So. You have made your profit. But for me,
I really need to find a good buyer. To reach the Afghan border, only one track. This narrow passage on the sides of the mountain that only
drug traffickers from Afghanistan, On the other side of the peaks, venture to borrow. It's the ice that begins. It's gonna be a hassle. There are not many cars here. The road is too dangerous. You have to drive slowly. Stay to the right. 70 soldiers were passing by, crammed into a bus. The pass is called "Adieu la jeunesse", because
the bus fell into the ravine and exploded. Where did they fall? That way, I believe. The bus slipped? I think yes. It's a real skating rink around here. Once I lost control and slipped a lot. Fortunately, I was able to stop the truck. Here we are very high. Really, it's scary!
We have a family, children. Who will feed them? After a final bend they arrive
in Ishkashim, the gateway to Afghanistan. On the other side of the river, the first
ramparts of the fierce Afghan tribes. No road, but mule tracks
dug with a pickaxe and a pickaxe, out of the rock. Decidedly, bad luck for Kuban
and Duicho, someone came before them. The cold room is full. Yesterday I bought a lot of meat and I can't keep it. Why would I buy? If you brought me the mutton, I would have bought it.
Find me some mutton for next time. See you soon. Kuban has a good heart against bad luck. What a mess, what fun! We couldn't even sell that meat. Fatalistic, he joins friends at the only inn in the village. So let's drink for our health, peace and
for our happiness. For the best things! I will miss you... When the weather is nice in the spring. When I'm no longer with you... I will ask the mountain wind to caress your hair. We love our life here! All is well ! Come on, let's dance! Come on honey, let's dance the night away! Kuban and Duicho go home,
perhaps they will sell yak meat there. Lets' go. And you still have to buy gasoline. He who risks nothing never drinks champagne.
