Deadliest Roads | Benin | Free Documentary

I am the animals of the savannah they no longer run away when they hear this strange sound the creaks of this truck are known throughout Bariba in Benin Zachary is the unfortunate owner Where are you from October to January? The north of Benin lives at the rhythm of the cotton harvest. The fiber represents around 40 percent of the country's exports. For months, dilapidated trucks travel the country's

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at great risk. Cotton is the country's wealth, but the rural countryside is poor, enormous amounts of water are needed to grow it during the harvest day and the night in

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revolves around cotton for almost a week now around 100 drivers wait to load their trucks with cotton, an endless weight without comforts or conveniences, without never be able to get away from their vehicles Foreigner Rahman Foreigner and his transportation apprentice The bales of cotton that are processed in this factory hope to be able to load the truck today, but there seems to be little hope that the factory dates back to the 1980s and so do its standards. of security in the midst of this deafening noise around 50 factories.

The workers clean the cotton of its impurities after waiting nine days the long-awaited miracle is finally here dramaan loads 24 tons of foreign cotton the driver has to deliver the bales in less than 24 hours to the port of Alamo the name of the city sounds strangely as a tribute to the precious plant, much less kotanu actually means river of death just like the road that leads there 600 kilometers at full speed to the other side of the country during the celebrations the Beninese dance the teke and when they drive they dance the movement, a dance created for the road and its endless bumps and curves.

Only after several kilometers, Raman can completely start the truck, even with all its modern features, the vehicle has reached the age of 40 years. At 100 kilometers per hour the man barely touches the brake, more strange here but protecting pedestrians and motorcyclists when his truck becomes a fast killing machine, especially considering that the drama rarely checks its mirrors, this piece of metal It is none other than the iron strap. hold the fuel tank inside the fuel tank could come off at any moment explode all over the road ten long kilometers after it almost happens there is still a long way to kotanu in

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tracks like dramans are nicknamed titans in reference to a french military truck from the 40s that transported heavy loads at high speed Zachary's truck is far from being a titan he moves at a walking pace he rarely exceeds five kilometers per hour Zachary travels through the scrub plantations loading the cotton to take it to the factory the old man truck from the 60s lost their hauteur a long time ago and their engine is not as brave as it used to be a diy solution is much cheaper for me by placing the tank high in the cab, the pressure forces the gasoline into the engine , but the system has its limits.

The fifth breakdown this morning every few kilometers Zachary becomes a human pump to get the fuel flowing again, so before loading the men compress the cotton during the harvest on each farm, the families lend a hand in the fields, here There are no exceptions, yes, children work an average of 10 hours a day before becoming farmers. The Bariba were savage warriors who participated in single combat. Today, each load awakens this dormant fighting spirit. The group that can transport the greatest number of bales. of 130 kilograms will be declared the winner eh, yes, the round of cotton farms lasts two days zachary's truck transports the clouds of cotton as it advances cotton has become one of the main sources of wealth in benin but in recent years the drought has reduced the harvest goodbye an unpleasant surprise awaits zachary in the in the next town none of the workers want to load the truck there is nothing zacholi can do it is impossible to convince them however the men do not ask much for the The owner of the cotton field has not provided enough water for the men to find more.

It is quite an expedition. The well is three kilometers from the town. The women will have to walk three more kilometers to reach the second source of water. The drought is not the The only reason for this is that cotton is one of the crops that consume the most water in the world. An hour and a half later, the women come across a source of black water. The water is cloudy and putrid. A foreign mom. The women have walked six kilometers for five bowls. and two cans of water boiled corn flour is the basis of their sustenance almost all year round to avoid intestinal problems caused by cloudy water men make a natural medicine they filter part of the liquid with ash this enriches the water in potassium and acts as an anti-diarrheal medication wow once fed and watered the men smell an improvised drug made from powdered tobacco um the men return to work but it's too late zachary will have to spend the night in town he has also spent the night on the side of the road to make up for lost time he speeds through the villages without slowing down the day before he lost a lot of time stuck in traffic yes, as night fell he was forced to stop due to people blocking the road, highway bandits looting A man has to make two return trips to Cottonwood Harbor every month Elijah and he certainly needs the money.

Rahman has two children and three wives, one with whom he lives in the city and the other two live in a village on the other side. On the way, when he passes by, they take the opportunity to spend some time together Elijah with his two wives Dramaan has started a small business reselling charcoal abroad. The charcoal will be resold by his wives at double the price in the surrounding towns Daraman also needs some bags to resell them in Cottonwood restaurants. It is an extra income that helps her support his numerous family members. Wow, this time Rahman hopes to reach Cottonwood Harbor before nightfall.

The sea is still far away and the talisman of it seems. to be failing alien the truck is slowly tipping downwards because of its load of wood that shifted during the accident in the end it is the load that saves them stop it alien zombie since all the drivers travel fast the big risk on this main road is collisions of several vehicles the truck seems suitable for the rough ones but knowing very well that they should never waste the Beninese have learned to fix and fix they say that the platform has just gone through the accident an alarm begins to sound in Raman's cabin there is at least an advantage of being on this road the mechanics are never far away in 10 minutes they arrive with the new abacus bomb on the other side of the road the scenes resemble those of a prison prisoners of their own poverty these men and women break stones gravel just to Being able to eat Yerima, who is 25 years old, works here with his children abroad, the gravel is resold to construction contractors, so some people below try to change their lives by putting faith in higher beings.

Voodoo originated in the heart of the forest through the meeting of the gods of Europe and the deities of Fon and Eu over the centuries it has become a religion these women dance for their king and religious leader of the voodoo cult ii thanks to voodoo the king can solve problems voodoo spirits can achieve justice predict good or bad omens and cure problems such as marital disputes it is said that this man was bewitched by a spirit that made him be unfaithful his wife wants to leave him the priest asks him about this stranger the spirit is talking to the child's mother says that the wife should keep her mouth shut and not swear or insult her husband, that way her son's health will improve hello, a king of the road, now lead to At breakneck speed, those who stand in his way must be careful, he will stop at nothing to reach the port of Kotanu. before nightfall as for zakari he has finished picking his cotton for five hours for just 65 kilometers hello he has broken down in his own village after renting a motorbike he is going in search of a new belt for the truck his village is on a road main and there is no shortage of DIY stores, however, there is a shortage of belts, uh, three hours later, it's ready to go back, but then, the alternator stopped working, Zachary is forced to call a mechanic, okay While waiting for the mechanic, Zachary returns home disheartened.

He will have to confess to his wife that a part of his salary has once again ended up in the pocket of a foreign mechanic. She still manages to make him smile even if only for a few seconds, on the asphalt of the road, he realizes that the factory is closed. The last bad news of the day arrives at the foreign factory parking lot once again the factory is operating with several days of delay leaving drivers waiting once again delays are costly for drivers like zachary as he waits the cotton harvest will continue and manufacturers will call other drivers to do their jobs another engine problem has forced rahman to spend a night again on the side of the road his boss will compensate for this extra day by removing it from his salary rahman arrives at álamo two The days of delay and the huge traffic jams in the big city do not help the situation and neither does the demanding administrative office in port.

Hey, oh, time is ticking and a wave of rebellion descends upon the harbor. The reprimand continues. The cold Raman has transported to earn some extra money he has soiled some of the cotton finally two dockers accept the job as soon as it comes off the truck the bales of cotton are evaluated by buyers like Jean-Pierre who came from France many of the bales are not quite up to the task the foreigner allows him to support his large family he is a polygamist the driver just married his third wife and never denies him anything foreigner um he drives seven days a week to be able to feed his family as for zachary he only has a wife but his old truck is just as expensive as you