In Siberia they call it the « highway of life »… and also the « highway of hell ». This is the M56, a 1200 km road route that crosses this region in the far Eastern part of the Russian Federation.
The M56 is an indispensable link for the people of the North of Siberia. Summer and winter long, thousands of trucks and hundreds of cars take this road to ensure supplies of food, drink and materials.
But this road to the other end of the world is also a real nightmare. First, because of its history: it was built between 1925 and 1964 by prisoners, "enemies of Communism" sent to the gulags, who never returned.
And today is still strikes fear. Driving conditions are particularly harsh. Here there’s no tarmac covering the surface, only thousands of rocks, far too big to drive on. There’s no car tyre that can resist them!
Dust, mud, vibrations, blizzards that can “overturn a truck” : when you take this road, you suffer! We accompany 3 truck drivers, among them, Igor, 42. He has three days ahead of him before he reaches Yakutsk, one of the most remote cities in Russia. He has to delivery his load of beer at all costs! Aboard his truck we discover the M56.

Director: Philippe Lafaix