Laos’ Wildest Trails : Lost Tribes and Jungle Roads | Deadliest Journeys

Laos’ Wildest Trails : Lost Tribes and Jungle Roads | Deadliest Journeys

Nakai, a small village
lost in central Laos. When the monsoon ends, the
itinerant traders are smiling again. Among them, Suta, she will be able
go back to sell his wares, Through isolated villages. I try to reach my clients. No signals! Due to the torrential rains, His clients were unreachable
for three months. I can’t reach them. The phone does not go through
It is not a good sign. The journey is going to be difficult,
but Kem, Suta’s husband, Is obliged to make a profit
their new truck. We bought it with our money. Like that, we
owes nothing to the banks, You don’t have to pay interest. The family agreed
and we raised the funds to buy it. It cost almost 22000€,
a fortune in Laos. Kem and Suta have no
the right to disappoint the family. Unfortunately, the country’s roads
are not kind to mechanics. landlocked country, Laos is one of the last regimes
Marxist Leninist of the planet. Its inhabitants have long
lived in isolation from the rest of the world. The recent opening at
capitalism has little, Improved the lives of 6 million
and a half of Laotians. Three quarters of the roads
are not paved. We are risking our lives. You have to go slowly. You won’t go there! Some roads end
swallowed up by the monsoons. I love driving really fast! Faced with natural constraints, men
sometimes have to give up mechanics, For brute force. I have to be very careful, If the cable breaks,
I risk going there. But another danger
prowls underground. Days of walking
in the heart of the tropical forest, Wild regions serve as
sanctuaries to mysterious ethnic groups. Long before dawn, Suta and Kem are standing
to load their truck. There’s work ! We take cakes, soups
Chinese, beer. You can spread them more! No need for them
stack that high. At home Nao
their 12-year-old daughter, She also travels,
prepare the sticky rice. Enough to last two days. For his part, Suta buys the coal
for bivouacs. – How much is it?
– 5€. Go ahead, door. Lets’ go! In Laos, gas
and electricity are expensive. Most families
cook over a wood fire. coal making, It’s a livelihood
for the poorest. Maye is 22 years old, Her husband, Seygue, 28. They work here from morning till night
to feed their two children. To make charcoal you need
first lay out the wood. Then we set the fire
and cover it with earth. Then we leave it
burn out slowly. – It’s hard.
– Yes, it’s hard. We do this because we have nothing to eat. It’s our only way to win
money and buy our food. Seygue and Maye ruin their lungs
in the toxic fumes, For a quarantine
euros per month. We are not healthy with the
smoke in the nose all day long, I have a sore throat and I cough. – Do you have a sore throat?
– Yes a lot. In Laos, a quarter of the population
lives below the poverty line. With their trucks
filled with goods, Suta, Kem and their daughter
sinks into the jungle. The father may well know
the path by heart, Each year the track is different. There, the path lasts because
it has been raining a lot lately. At the end of the rainy season, The roads are broken,
it’s dangerous. Torrential rains
descended on the region. They dug these deep furrows, And took away portions
entire roads. Kem must constantly slalom
between the ruts. Fortunately there is
power steering. On this kind of road, we
couldn’t drive without it. 2 hours later, the track
turns into a roller coaster. Kem is only afraid of one thing, Damage their precious truck. Gently. It hits below. You know, my vehicle, I want it
like the apple of my eye. So the harder it is,
the more I lift my foot. Break this little gem at 22000€, And that would be ruin
for the whole family. At the bottom of this slope,
the first leg of the journey, The village of Vang Vieng. Here, we lack everything and the
visit a street vendor, Is a highly anticipated event. Come ! I have soup, cigarettes,
shoes and beer. These peasant women are shy, but
Suta knows how to hook fish. You will leave well
tempted by these dresses? Come on, let’s see! But it’s not free! It’s cheap !
In town, we only wear that. I really like this color. – Yes, she is very beautiful.
– Yes, she is really pretty. The approach maneuver
has its effect. I also have lighters. Suta, does not sell drugs, But she always
a miracle product to offer. Me, I don’t feel
not very well right now. Buy me an energy bar,
it gives strength. I’m looking for flip flops, do you have any? Flip flops ? Yes, flip flops,
I do not have. It’s €1.60. €1.60? I sell them for €1.70 at my shop. Come on, I’ll give you a price,
but I must live! Suta sets the prices she wants, Here, no competition,
then customers have no choice. It’s not everyday
that there are merchants passing by, They are happy. The little merchant is
a tough businesswoman. Can you do it for me for 5€? No I can not. How’s business? Suta, you have
well sold today? Yes, just a little. Thanks. The recipe does not exceed 100€, This barely reimburses the fuel. It is to be hoped that in Ban Tom,
the next town. Business will be better. On the road, the memories
monsoon are still fresh. By insisting too much, Kem risks
to dig his own trap. You won’t go there! Only one solution, gain momentum
in an attempt to force through. But thirty minutes later… Looked ! Wait, there is no place
here to turn around. We will stop there to have a look. It’s hard there. We will do
may not be able to pass. my husband went
to take a look at. The plain is totally flooded. Only these electric poles,
reminder that a road passed by there. The trip was very hard
and we’ve come all this way for nothing. Unable to pass,
we have no other choice, You have to turn around and go back. This year’s monsoon
was particularly strong. We will have to wait several months
before the water recedes. Until then, Kem and Suta will
having to find new villages, To make up for this shortfall. Laos has many other
inaccessible places, Like these vast tropical forests. Their precious wood attracts
all lusts. To fetch these rare essences. Man has a powerful ally whose
traces date back more than 6,000 years. Elephants are the only ones who can
work in these steep forests. Advance ! To the left ! Kambou is a 28 year old male. To direct it, Boun Yang, its mahout,
uses only his feet and the sound of his voice. The animal has only one fault,
a huge appetite. Stop eating, move on! He swallows nearly 250 kilos
of plants per day. Move right! He is moving too slowly.
Come on, come help me. Loggers pay
Boun Yang and his elephant, To fetch the cut wood
in the most inaccessible places. Come on, get rid of this! My other elephant got hurt trying
to climb a slope like this. It was raining, the ground was slippery, He skidded and
twisted the front paw. We’re going to tilt the trunk. That way, we will be able
lift it to pull it. Advance ! To the left ! Go ahead my daddy! Raised ! Still. Push! Head down. Still ! On such a steep slope, The symbiosis between man
and the animal is capital. To the right ! Come down. Still. Still. To disassemble
this trunk of 850 kilos, The elephant only needs
of about ten minutes. Kambou, is the pride of his mahout. This elephant, we trained it
when he was three years old. Today, he is 28 years old, And he obeys me to the finger and the eye. Bring down that heavy logs of wood
is a slow and perilous operation. If the trunk rolls down the slope, it can
breaking Kambou’s hind legs. To avoid the accident, the assistants
must act as counterweights. Overcome passages
the most difficult, Defeat Zones
the most inaccessible This is the fate of the elephants of Laos. In a final effort, Kambou draws his
charge to the top of this hill. Soon, trucks will come to take away
the rosewood brought back by the elephant. These trunks will end up in woodwork
or in luxurious furniture, In Beijing, Hanoi or elsewhere. Come on, let’s go swimming! For the elephant, the bath is
more than just a refresh. Behind this solid look,
it hides very sensitive skin. Water kills parasites and
to prevent his skin from drying out. On your knees, get on your knees! Go on ! Bend down ! The operation turns quickly to the game
between humans and animals. Catch me! When you’re mahout, you have to love
his elephant is important. The elephant is our life.
Without it, we don’t make money. We love each other with this elephant,
we go everywhere together. Come on, come here, you! This bond lasts
for twelve years already. Man and animal have noticeably
the same life expectancy. Hopefully, Kambou and Boun Yang
will continue to work together, until their old age. Mahouts are itinerant workers
who move according to the contracts. This time, Boun Yang was lucky
to find a house to rent, in this nearby village. But it’s not always the case. Most of the time,
when we work, We have nowhere to sleep. We have to sleep in the forest. Here, at least, it’s comfortable. This is our kitchen. This is where the meals are prepared. Usually we have to
to bivouac in the middle of the jungle. Here is my family. They all work with me
and elephants. He is my wife’s brother. She, my wife’s mother. Him, my uncle
and she, my aunt. These peasants got into debt
to buy Kambou. It cost them almost 18000€, almost as expensive as a truck. We stay in this village
as long as there is work. If there is enough
things to do, We can stay again
two or three months. Then when there’s no
no more wood to pull, We’ll go somewhere else
on another farm. An elephant can bring
a lot of money, From 400 to 3,000€ per month,
according to the difficulties of the work. To make a big hit,
the mahouts are ready for anything. In a few days, Boun Yang
will leave for a perilous mission. Despite their strength, elephants are
gradually abandoned in favor of these trucks, Antiques that go back
in the Soviet era. Seygue has been driving one for four years. The tires are what
deteriorates the most. The engine, on the other hand,
he doesn’t often have a problem. I say,
it doesn’t look like that! This truck was designed in Ukraine
in the early 60’s. It’s a Kraz 255. 1000 times modified,
cleared of the superfluous on one side, And heavily reinforced on the other, There’s not much left to see
with the original model. If no parts are found,
we make them ourselves. We are looking for metal
to make new ones. We tinker. With such a machine, even a simple
full is a complicated operation. Open this. It takes 300 liters of diesel
to fill the tanks. How much does it consume? One liter for two kilometres. No less than 50 liters per 100. He is very foodie ! Seygue hits the road
with Tant, his assistant. Nearly 9m long for 2m75
wide and 3m60 high, This truck is one of the biggest
Soviet trucks ever built. Not easy to handle these
twelve tons of scrap metal, During the Cold War era, Power steering
was not yet in series. Visibility also leaves something to be desired. At the entrance to the forest,
the assistant must play lookouts, To guide the driver
between the trees. Further, an entire trunk
is lying across the road. The two men are used to
there is a solution. In the hands of Seygue, The truck also becomes
efficient than a tank, And no obstacle resists them. 25 kilometers and 5 hours of driving later, Seygue and Tant reach
finally to the places of unloading. These pine logs are intended
to a furniture company. Each weighs between three and five tons. Take the hook
and hook the underside. To move them, both
men have only a simple winch. I’m done. Drawn ! To move such a mass with means
so derisory is done in stages. Once the front has entered,
you have to lift the back. If you tie it at the other end,
it will go up more easily. First I attach
the cable around the trunk. Then I’ll get to safety. Finally I cry out for
engage the winch. Drawn ! The danger is omnipresent,
especially when you have to remove the cable. The trons are unstable. Attention ! The risk also comes from the material
threadbare. I have to be very careful. If the cable breaks,
I risk going there. Have there ever been any accidents? Yes, there already have been. Of what genre ? Can the truck overturn? It happens when that cable breaks. Go ahead ! Winch! This gigantic game of mikado
lasts about 3 hours. The trunks are twice
longer than the trailer, To prevent the truck
don’t fall back, The load must be
advanced to the max. Let’s go ! Seygue, though modest in size, will have
enough to raise your head. Bring back these 30 tons of wood and
scrap metal on such soft ground, Rise to the challenge. When it goes down hard,
the brake should not be used. I do everything on engine braking, Otherwise it would get too hot. Because of all that wood in the back, To climb hills,
I have to use this, The low speeds, Otherwise the motor would not follow
not in the ribs. It’s all a matter of experience. I control my truck. It’s like that
that I can continue. Both men are paid
per cubic meter of wood moved. Today’s trip
will earn them 37€, Two-thirds for the driver,
the rest for his assistant. If the job is dangerous,
it has the advantage of paying well. In Laos, two thirds of the inhabitants, Live on less than €1.50 a day. 700 kilometers further,
in the heart of the jungle, Boun Yang, the mahout, fetches
his elephant for a dangerous mission. It is here, in the middle of the forest,
let Kambou spend his nights. Keep an elephant near the village,
it’s impossible. There is not enough grass to eat. So we keep them away. Otherwise they would swallow all the plants
and the trees in the gardens of the villagers. Untie the chain. Come on, shoot! I tell the elephant to pull his chain, That way we don’t have to lift it. Pull the chain! elephant’s trunk
has 40,000 muscles. As agile as it is powerful,
she can pick up a coin, Like maneuvering a trunk
several hundred kilograms. Today, Boun Yang and his team
go to get a piece of rosewood, Of exceptional quality. It’s the promise of a gain
of at least 1200€. The road is hard. Only an elephant is
worthy of such work. The stump must weigh
within five tons, One and a half times the weight of Kambou. Only problem, an elephant cannot
tow more than its own weight. Advance ! Left again! Still ! Gently ! Still. Despite his efforts,
Kambou can’t do it. The chain slips on the trunk. Usually we place
the chain around the trunk, So that the elephant can lift it. But here we have a problem. I can not
not pass the chain below. Boun Yang changes strategy. He will use the head of his elephant
to kick. Lower ! Kambou ends up just releasing
enough space to pass the chain. Go ahead, slide it to the other side. We’ll have him pulled over there. Drawn ! That’s it, she gets up. The mahout manages to slip a lever. One more effort! By debiting the stump
in several pieces, These men would spare themselves
much trouble. It does not work.
The lever slips every time. If we manage to pass it this way,
it should work. I wish I could
take away the whole log. If we have to cut it, The owner will
we lower the price. Go on ! After 40 minutes of effort, The elephant finally ends
by extracting the wood. Stop! But his ordeal
is just beginning. Now he has to drag his load
three kilometers to the village. How’s it going
in front with the rock? It is really huge! After 3 hours of desperate effort,
the elephant is exhausted. The stump did not move
than about ten meters. Boun Yang resolves
to throw in the towel. Today we don’t have
managed to pull this log. We have to cut it in half. Then we can move it
but only tomorrow. Today, enough is enough. My elephant is tired. The wood will lose a lot of value, But if Boun Yang had been stubborn, The consequences would
could have been dramatic for Kambou. Other mahouts are not
not as considerate. William, a young veterinarian from
the Elefantasia association, Getting ready to treat her first
patient of the day. Three weeks ago this mahout was
obliged to fire a gun at his elephant. It was the only way to calm the animal. He had entered
dementia attacks, Which make these behemoths dangerous. He had broken his chain, I couldn’t
do nothing, he was going to kill me. What weapon did you have? A rifle. Then the elephant
must have suffered a lot. What did you do ? Yes, he was in pain. I took a rope
and I gave him a tourniquet. Weren’t you scared? Yes, very much. This elephant is very
difficult to cure. He is very nervous and unpredictable. He can show himself
suddenly aggressive, You have to be very
very careful with him. Because the elephant never forgets
when a man hurt her. We’ll leave it alone
for the moment. The elephant is so big and mighty, That if he catches me with his trunk, If he lays his head on me, It could be fatal to me. Are you ever afraid? If I’m scared? Sometimes I’m nervous. I’m not afraid of elephants to the point
to no longer be able to do my job. But I have a deep
respect for them. Known in the Middle Ages as the kingdom
a million elephants, Laos would only have 800. If traditions and
elephants disappear, The country remains
still very rural. Two-thirds of the population
depend on growing rice for a living. Still a craft activity. There is not much rice. The harvest is not very good. My family is very large, We just have enough to eat. This thankless work,
hides an unsuspected risk. Some rice fields are riddled
cluster bombs. When I dig the earth,
I happen to find some. Sometimes they are
right on the ground. I catch them
and I swing them away! Because I want to do
a paddy field there, me. I don’t want them to explode
when I pass with my plough, So I throw them away. Every year peasants are killed
or mutilated by this kind of bombs. During the Vietnam War,
american planes, Spilled more than 200 million
tons on Laos. They wanted to destroy
the Ho Chi Minh trail, This road network used
by the Vietnamese communists, To ship weapons through Laos. For ten years, Laotians have suffered a
bombardment every seven minutes, thus becoming the people most
bombarded with history. It is not uncommon to find
these reliefs of war, Converted into everyday objects. To clear its territory, Laos had to
appeal for international assistance. Michel Dolke, a former Swedish soldier,
works for the British NGO MAG. That’s a BLU 26. There is a paddy field
a few meters from here. Most likely, a peasant
found him in his field, And took it to put it here. It happens very often. It means that she
no longer dangerous? Absolutely not. You can take it ten times in a row, And the 11ᵉ, it can very well explode. Among these deminers,
there are more and more women. Nang leads a team
of about thirty young girls. They all earn 170€ per month, An excellent salary for Laos,
but proportional to the risks involved. Every square inch of land
must be inspected. When the bombs go off, They shoot balls
metal everywhere. If anyone is around,
he cannot escape. This swarm of deadly projectiles can
fly nearly 400 meters around. The work is tedious because
the detectors constantly panic. There are a lot of shards
shells in this area. It may take two or three
days to secure everything. At each alert, young people
girls have to stop, And dig with
the greatest precaution. we never know
what we are going to come across. Attention ! Evacuate the area!
Imminent explosion. 3, 2, 1… Between summer 2011 and summer 2012, The artificers destroyed
more than 15000 bombs, And cleaned near
1200 hectares of land. In the northwest of the country, the city of Luang
Prabang, the former royal capital, Celebrates her daily ritual. The Tak Bat ceremony. Every morning,
monks roam the streets, To seek the offerings
among the population. Sticky rice, cakes,
fruits or even soap, These bonzes depend
alms to live. Sumsak, go to the temple
before each of his trips. Each morning,
before taking my boat, I go to the pagoda. I come to do **** there. A prayer for the ancestors
which will bring me luck and happiness. I do this so it doesn’t happen to me
nothing during the trip. Beneath her gentle and pious airs, This 42 year old man
lead a dangerous life. He is a speed boat pilot. The speed boats, these are the stars
rapids that spin on the Mekong. For passengers in a hurry,
it is the ideal solution, Provided you have
guts tight. It’s been fourteen years
that Sumsak does this job. His boat is the encounter
between a nutshell, and a powerful engine. That’s a Toyota engine, It’s from a car. It is 1440 cubic centimeters. It can peak at 70 km/h. To achieve this result, It cost him 3000€
and a good dose of system D. This engine here, We took it apart first.
and then we modified it to fit it. Everything that was used for the car,
we got rid of it. The clutch, the gearbox
or the transmission shaft, We removed them and added
this muffler and a propeller. The Speed Boat Corporation
is very well organized. It sets the tariffs and imposes
a system of rotation between the pilots. It must be said that customers
do not jostle. Tickets are expensive.
Between 14 and 30€. The equivalent of several weeks
salary for a peasant. So, while waiting… Whose is that? The pilots indulge
national sport, A game that is curiously reminiscent
the south of France. If not for this time,
it will be for the next one. You touched one of their balls! Missed ! Go ahead, you can make a square there! Several decades of colonization
French have left some traces. You would have touched that one, she would be
come back and we would have had the point. The arrival of customers
short haircut to the part. Sumsak is casting off. This is this one, this is ours. Here, they have to put this on. Give him the black helmet,
that way, you will all have the same. After the distribution
safety equipment, The pilot cleverly measures
the balance of his frail skiff. Come a little more over there,
you over here. He will stand next to you. His destination for the day, Pak Beng, One village, 150 kilometers
further west. The pilot must be able
to get there in less than 3 hours. With a classic boat, This trip takes the whole day. I love to drive really fast. Sumsak is speeding at 70 km/h. This is very fun ! In a speed boat, every minute counts. This is why passengers
have paid so much Despite the noise and the jolts. My passengers are not afraid because those
have already done the speed boat. But of course, the first time,
it’s always a little scary. Afterwards, we are used to
and what’s more, we love it! Above all, you have to put your fate back
in the hands of the pilot. Speed boats are not famous
for their responsiveness. To brake, you have to
the propeller stops spinning. It’s not like a car
which will suddenly stop. We take a little longer And if we don’t anticipate, we can
easily get hit by a rock. Depending on the level of the Mekong,
the rocks disappear or appear. Sumsak must remember
from each of their locations. I was born into a family
speed boat pilot. My whole family works there. When I was little, I had
used to accompany my father. I did a lot of back and forth
on the Mekong, And over the years I’ve ended
by knowing it like the back of my hand. But you also have to know
anticipate the unexpected, Like tree trunks
carried by the river. The pilot plays the taxis of the Mekong, And drops off its passengers
during the trip. Thanks a lot. Sumsak continues its course
against the watch. But how much longer will he
continue this dangerous work? With road competition, The speed boats are disappearing
little by little of the Laotian landscape. For ten years, the country
is changing. But this is not the case of Phongsaly. Here, the propaganda of the single party
starts at 5 a.m. From morning to evening, the loudspeakers
national radio, Flood the inhabitants
of their incessant litanies. Phongsaly is the only agglomeration
of this northern region, Located on the edge
from China and Vietnam. On the market, Next to the meats,
Fruits and vegetables, We find products
much more unusual. What is that ? It’s a rat! And it’s good ? Yes, delicious. You have to taste. How much does it cost ? 60000 kips. Almost €6. Considering its price, this meat
should be a delicacy. Phongsaly is nestled in a basin
at 1400 meters above sea level. Here begins the first
Himalayan foothills. These rugged landforms
and this thick jungle, Served as a refuge
to persecuted peoples, Driven out of Tibet, China
or Burma. They still house today
dozens of forgotten ethnic groups. Tong is a teacher, he is preparing
on a difficult journey. When I hit the road
I take clothes and food, Especially packet soups. And then, of course,
my class stuff. The young man leaves
his family for four weeks. He goes to teach Cha Kam Pa,
a remote village in the mountains. Even though he has just become a father, Farewells are made without effusion. In Laos, we externalize
his feelings little. Come on, I’m going. Hi ! Take care of the children. His journey begins with the small port. He embarks on the Nam Ou River. Only axis to reach
isolated areas. This journey of fifty minutes
must lead him to the village of Vatai. It’s over there, in the heart of a region
least populated in Laos, Let the track for Chakhampa begin. Tong rushes for several
hours of walking. He wants to take advantage of the last
moments of freshness, And the morning is already well advanced. It may be weeks before
someone else takes this path. If the teacher gets hurt
or slide down a ravine, No one will help him. The humidity level exceeds 80%, Making walking even more painful. Under this lush vegetation
lurks an insidious threat. Come to see !
There, there is something. It’s a centipede. It’s very dangerous. Its bite is extremely poisonous. Tong averts the danger today
with a single kick. But that didn’t
always been the case. He was 20, the first time
that he confronted this hostile environment. At that time I was alone
like today. I was scared. The jungle was dense and oppressive. My main anxiety
it was the serpents. I was afraid to step on it. Let them bite me. Besides, I’m still afraid of that. Besides, the place
teeming with pests. What is that ? It’s a leech. Are there many around here? Yes, there are plenty. Leeches can interfere with
most intimate bodily orifices. Their bites leave lesions
who are at risk of infection. After getting rid
about twenty of them, Tong resumes his walk
through the jungle. 3 hours later, he enters
in Haka territory, One of the most ethnic groups
mysteries of the country. At the top of this hill,
Chakhampa village. The Hakas watch fiercely
on their traditions. Women wear these dresses
indigo open on the chest, And those intricate headpieces. These clothes tell us about
the status of those who wear them, Single or married. Here, a pig represents
a valuable asset, And we don’t kill them
only on rare occasions. Today we celebrate the return
of the teacher. But when Tong arrived,
Four years ago, things were far away
to be so simple. Not easy to convince
those fierce men, Let their children go
at school rather than in the fields. I had to consult
the council of 7 elders, And the Nai Ban, the village chief. I said to them, “How do you want
to do my job? What are you expecting from me ?” I listened to them
and I followed their advice. Haka society is patriarchal. Cooking, growing rice
on the mountainside, Cut firewood, Weaving dresses or spinning wool, Hakas Women’s Day
doesn’t stop until late at night. In the morning they are
the first standing. Before the mist lifts,
they fetch water from the well, Several dozens
meters below. A set of bamboo like this, Can weigh twenty pounds. Tong prepares for
his working day. This is where he lives, in this cabin
about ten square meters, Built by the villagers. At 8 a.m., it rings for the start of the school year. Five days a week he learns
Laotian language and culture, To fifty children
aged 6 to 14 years old. Everybody is here. Rest. The teacher does not joke
with discipline. Come on, come in! You ! What is this shirt?
Come on, button! Before returning to class, he spends
reviews each of his students. Show me your hands. Wash your feet. Go between! Hello. Sit down. Tong takes care of six classes alone. get up and tell me
How do you call this. A coconut tree. A coconut tree and this one? A palm. Cheer ! Clap your hands for Sumsay. We applaud! Behind this colorful school
of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, A political tool is hidden. For 20 years, the authorities have been seeking
to control minorities, Going to move hundreds
of thousands of people. The fate of Chakhampa’s Hakas
is already sealed. In three years, they will be forced
to leave the mountains, To settle near a city, Leaving behind their
lands and their traditions.

Deep in the heart of Laos, forgotten tribes survive in isolation. From wild jungle trails to the raging Mekong, follow daring truckers, river traders, and elephant riders as they brave the impossible roads to reach remote villages. Meet Tong, a devoted teacher on foot; Bountieng, a jungle wood hunter; and Southa & Khem, fearless merchants on a mission. A raw journey across one of Asia’s last untamed frontiers.

Director: Julien Felix