- I don't feel good.
- You don't feel good?
Woman: No.
Man: What's wrong? I feel faint.
♪♪
I don't feel good at all.
[Bleep].
Narrator: Two strangers
...one man, one woman...
Oh [bleep].
...Dropped into some of
the most hostile
environments on the planet...
- This is disgusting.
- Oh, I'm sore everywhere.
Man: [ Screams ]
Narrator: ...For 21
days with no food...
- This is food?
- Just the smell.
Narrator: ...No
water, no clothes.
Man: It's a storm.
Narrator: We'll put their
survival skills to the ultimate test.
[ Thunder crashes ]
Woman: I heard noises.
I'm scared.
Narrator: And in
this unique event
that's been translated
from French,
two Europeans will take on
the 21-day survival challenge.
- I can't take this anymore!
- Aw, damn it.
- This is not good.
- It begins! Oh!
In the northern
tip of South Africa,
two strangers will try to
survive spectacular landscapes
in which the most dangerous
animals on the planet live.
Leopards and hyenas
reign over the savanna
in search of prey to feed on.
Deadly snakes and scorpions
lie hidden in the vegetation.
Danger is ever present.
The weather conditions
are demanding.
During the middle of the
day, the blazing sun can push
the mercury above
104 degrees fahrenheit.
In these semiarid plains,
unpredictable storms
strike quickly
with violent force.
At night, strong easterly winds
can drop temperatures
into the 50s.
Laurent and valérie are
going to have to draw deeply
on their skills to survive
this rugged environment.
[ Speaking French ]
My name is Laurent.
I'm 37 and from France.
I have three children
who are 11, 9, and 7.
I teach survival in the wild.
I consider myself a
guardian of primal crafts,
crafts that come
from prehistoric times.
Well, I'm keen to see the
place where I'll be inserted,
to quickly assess the area's
potential... the materials,
the hills, the water points.
Yeah, so I'm a big mixture
of excitement, apprehension,
and curiosity.
It's not about coming here
as if to fight against nature
or to be confrontational.
The way I see it is
it's living in nature.
It feels bizarre to
get naked like this
in the middle of nowhere.
But at home I work a lot on
how to live with the least possible,
and to find myself in
this situation with nothing,
it's exhilarating for me.
It's a beautiful day to
get naked in the savanna.
My name is valérie.
I'm married. I
have two children.
We live in the basque
country of France.
And I'm 48 years old.
Participating in this adventure
is an enormous challenge for me,
seeing as though I have limited
primitive-survival experience.
But I love nature, and I
want to know how far I can go.
My greatest pleasure would
be to hold for the entire 21 days.
It's beautiful. I'm
gonna feel good here.
Giraffes! Oh, they're beautiful.
It's intrigued. Look,
there's another one.
Wow.
My mind-set is my
biggest strength.
You can only do this
adventure if you want
to push beyond your
limits to outdo yourself.
Mentally, I think I can last.
I'm not used to being
naked. I don't feel at ease.
I don't have the
soul of a nudist,
but I'm doing it now to be
in symbiosis with nature.
I hope that, bit by bit, I'll
become one with nature
and resemble it.
I'm wild, and I'm
excited to live in the wild.
♪♪
Narrator: To participate
in this challenge,
experts assess each
candidate's survival skills
in hostile environments
based on evaluations
concerning their psychological,
physical, and survival skills.
On a scale from zero to 10,
each survivalist is given
a primitive survival rating,
or PSR.
Laurent has extensive
experience in the wild.
His mastery of primitive
skills is a strength
that should allow him to adapt
quickly to this environment.
He begins with a PSR of 8.5.
Valérie is in excellent
physical condition,
and her strong mind should
help ensure her success.
Experts have given
her an initial PSR of 5.7.
Oh, it's hot, hot.
I'm really eager
to meet my partner.
I really hope that the
two of us will be in sync.
I expect him to be a
confidante and a friend,
and I'll do everything to ensure
we stay together till the end.
Laurent: My biggest
curiosity is to know
who my partner for
this adventure will be.
I hope she has some
skills that complement mine.
I'm just looking to go as
far as possible as a pair.
Hi.
- Hello.
My name is Laurent. Hi.
I'm valérie. Valérie. Mm.
Nice to meet you. Yes.
Really nice to meet you.
Valérie: When I first meet him,
I think he's a real
prehistoric character.
He wears it well.
He has the look.
He's a character, really.
How do you feel? Better.
There's one less mystery
now that I've met you.
That's true. So I
feel a lot calmer.
Are you used to doing
this kind of adventure,
or not at all?
I've done a few adventures
like this, but in Europe.
This will be my first
adventure in Africa.
For me, this is the
first one anywhere.
Oh, good.
I know very little
about primitive survival.
Oh. We'll do it together, then.
Let's go put our
feet in the shade.
Yeah. These
rocks are really hot.
Narrator: To face the extreme
conditions of the challenge,
Laurent and valérie
have each been allowed
to bring one
essential survival item.
Valérie: A machete.
We can cut wood,
however long we want.
Laurent: And for my
part, I brought a deerskin.
Wow. I really
didn't expect that.
It will have several uses,
to lay on the ground
or for warmth at night
because here, you know, the
temperatures, they can plummet.
That can be used for
making lots of things, I hope.
You can show me all that
because I really don't see it.
Yeah, there you go.
In the day, a film
crew will be present
but are under instruction only
to intervene in emergencies.
The survivalists have
been given a small camera
to document their own
survival experience,
as well as a rudimentary
map of the area.
Okay, insertion.
Here, I believe the baobab trees
will be a good resource for us.
Laurent and valérie's adventure
begins with a 4-mile trek
to a riverbed, where they
should find enough resources
to survive for three weeks.
♪♪
Here we go.
We'll have to walk
over these hot stones.
[Bleep].
It's not easy, the ground.
Yeah. Are your feet all right?
Sorry? Your feet?
My feet? Yeah, are they okay?
They're not great.
My skin is really
starting to burn, I think.
Laurent: Maybe we should
put some mud on our shoulders.
Okay.
And on the most delicate bits.
I know my buttocks aren't
prepared to take so much sun.
Ow, ow, ow.
You ready to put mud
mixed with urine on yourself?
[ Laughs ] We
could spit, as well.
If you spit, you lose the
little water in your mouth,
and it's not the time to dry up.
We don't know when
we'll find water, so...
The mixture of earth
and urine makes a mud,
which is a natural
shield against U.V.
Without this protection,
Laurent and valérie risk serious
burns in less than 30 minutes.
The earth is nice, isn't it?
Yeah, it's great.
Don't forget your
hands and feet.
Do your butt, too, anything
that touches the ground.
Protecting ourselves from
the sun is our most urgent task.
Laurent: Even at the start, things
with valérie just flow naturally.
I get the feeling that she'll
be able to overcome a lot.
It's reassuring, she'll
be a good partner,
and there's every chance that
we'll go all the way together.
Is my face covered
properly? How do I look?
Yeah, it's good. Your beard
will help cover you, too.
Oh.
Okay. Cool.
There'll be tough
times, for sure.
I know there will be. I know.
Do you have kids? I have three.
Oh, okay. How old are they?
They're 11, 9, and 7.
Whoa! Damn it, my feet.
You okay? Hold on a second.
Yeah.
Things are getting
stuck in my feet.
Ah.
You all right?
I need to walk slowly.
Oh, it's hot.
Damn, it's hot.
Narrator: Under
the scorching sun,
the stones retain heat
and rise in temperature.
After walking for an hour,
bare feet that aren't
used to hot surfaces
are unable to tolerate
these conditions.
Laurent: It feels like
we're walking on thorns.
I mean, you can feel
every tiny grain of sand
digging into your skin, and
that's over miles and miles.
It's unbearable heat.
Oh, it's hot! It's hot!
It's so hot. Damn!
Ow, ow, ow, ow!
My feet have really suffered,
walking on this kind of gravel.
It burns so sharply that I can't
place my feet onto the earth.
Oh! Oh!
[ Exhales, inhales sharply ]
My feet are on fire.
I'm overheating.
I don't feel good.
You don't feel good? No.
I feel faint. I'm
not doing good.
What's the matter?
It's like a dizzy spell.
Laurent: At this point,
I'm afraid to lose her,
in case she's too
frail to carry on.
She has to leave the
adventure here and now.
I fear she's already
reached her limit.
We're not even at the camp yet.
I'm sorry. Don't worry.
It's fine. We have time.
Look, lay down. Take
the hide if you want.
This is not good.
Damn it. [ Exhales ]
I haven't even made it to
where we want to camp yet,
and I feel faint.
I keep telling myself
I'm not done yet,
but I can't go on.
[ Speaking French ]
Valérie: This is not
good. Damn it. [ Exhales ]
I haven't even made it to
where we want to camp,
And I feel faint.
I keep telling myself
I'm not done yet,
but I can't go on.
This can't happen. I have
to get back on my feet.
Come on, val.
You need to get up.
Laurent: Finally,
val gets back up,
and I'm pleasantly surprised.
At that moment, I realize
I'm dealing with someone
very courageous
with strong willpower.
A strong mentality is
fundamental in survival.
It's very important.
Let's go. I'll follow
at your pace.
Valérie: Yes. It did
me good to lie down.
Laurent: All right, our priority
now is to get to a good spot
where we can build a shelter.
Wow, look at the baobabs.
Wow, that's an incredible tree.
Looks like a nice
place to set up camp.
Narrator: This
100-year-old baobab tree
will provide shade
and protection
against the punishing
heat of the African savanna.
Hiding among the clusters
of rocks are scorpions
and snakes like the
venomous horned viper,
waiting for the
cool of the evening
to emerge from their lair.
When darkness sets in,
predators roam
on the hunt for food.
In order to spend
the night here,
Laurent and valérie must
construct a secure shelter.
Wow, a waterfall.
Ah, that's so good.
Feels great. It's beautiful.
It looks nice and clear.
Should we wait awhile?
Well, it's gonna be
tough. Tough, but sensible.
We need to find a better shelter
than under the baobab tree.
This looks like a
pretty suitable spot.
I'm inspired. Awesome.
Look here.
We already have
kind of a ridge tent.
Here, yeah.
And these are
like the ridge poles,
and we can add branches
on either side like a ridge tent.
And then we can place
thorns over the top.
We just need to
make it more stable
with some larger branches.
It's not too close to the water?
Oh, no, no, no.
Awesome. Great.
Laurent: Well, the challenge tonight
will be ensuring we can sleep safely.
I'm mainly concerned
about predators.
Spotted some trees with
long thorns, you know,
and if we can create a frame
in the shape of a ridge tent,
we can add a thick layer
of thorns over the top of it.
And yeah, I think
it will do a good job
of keeping any hyenas
and leopards away.
Have you found anything for
the fire? Did you have time?
No. We won't
have a fire tonight.
It takes too much
preparation and energy.
And I'm so thirsty,
it just isn't possible.
It's not a good
idea. That's fine.
Valérie: What I really
like about Laurent is
that he's very straightforward.
He's calm.
He knows what
his priorities are.
He's an excellent organizer.
I feel really
comfortable with him.
I couldn't have
a better partner.
♪♪
Valérie: It's the first night.
It's cold. It's cold. I'm...
I'm shivering. Ah!
So we can't sleep.
We decided to
share our body heat
and lie close together.
It'll give us a few
extra degrees.
For this cold, we
won't be sleeping.
That's for sure.
Can't wait to have a fire. Yeah.
♪♪
Hi.
Getting up this morning, I
can only think about one thing...
water.
Laurent: We need to find out
what the deal is with the water,
if there's a way
we can filter it.
Our goal this
morning is to find water
and make some
progress on a fire.
I'm torn between drinking the
water and trying to start a fire
because it takes
a lot of energy.
But it will be hard if
I'm not hydrated, so...
We can dig some
holes around here
here, we'll make one here.
Valérie: This water is gorgeous.
We found some flowing
water that looks pretty clear.
But from experience, I know
that it's not a good idea to indulge
in drinking it right away.
So we'll start by
digging a small well,
checking the water quality.
There are some particles you
can see, but others are invisible.
Anything bacteriological,
such as viruses,
protozoa, or bacteria,
poses a risk, I know.
We need to let that sit.
Laurent is a real leader
when it comes to survival.
He knows so many methods.
I'm learning a lot
listening to him.
And now we can drink it.
♪♪
[ Coughs ]
Narrator: Dysentery,
parasites, and typhoid fever
are waterborne diseases
that pose the greatest
threat to survival.
Valérie: It doesn't
have any particular odor,
so it's really good
to drink, definitely.
Shall I cover it like this?
Yeah, yeah.
I'm gonna go look
for wood for a fire.
Okay, great.
I really believe in
Laurent's abilities.
He'll be able to light
a fire, I'm sure of it.
♪♪
Narrator: Laurent decides to
use his deerskin to make a string
for the bow he will
use to light a fire.
Laurent: Before I
make my first attempt,
I'm making sure there's
nothing left to chance.
I know that the more
times I have to try,
the more exhausted I'll become.
I'm burning all my calories,
as we haven't
eaten anything yet.
We can go for it now.
Yeah? Let's do it.
Now, let's say you
have an ember.
What do you do next? You
use the hay to light a fire?
Yeah. I need your help
to hold the bone in place.
Just don't let it wobble,
you know, that's all.
Okay. I've got the rest.
Narrator: Laurent is
using this technique
to make a friction fire.
It involves rubbing two
pieces of wood together
to create an ember.
The bow he is using will
allow him to create more force
and speed in
terms of the friction,
which will raise the
temperature faster
until he gets an ember.
I smell it, I smell it. Yeah.
Shh! Hang on.
We're not there yet.
[ Grunts ]
Laurent: As soon as
valérie sees the smoke,
she thinks, you
know, "we've got it!"
But, you know, that's not
even 2% of the job done.
I mean, you can have plenty of
smoke and not a single ember.
[ Grunts ]
Yes, I've got it. Okay.
We have an ember.
[ Breathing heavily ]
Hold on, hold on.
We're still not quite there.
[ Blowing ]
- Awesome. That's great.
- Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
Thank you. Wait.
It's not yet finished.
That's the first time
I've ever seen this.
I know from experience.
I know this could still fail.
Hold on. Keep still.
And she's happy again.
I mean, there it is.
We have an ember.
But if you still don't
have the flame,
then you're not even
40% of the way there.
♪♪
♪♪
Is it good? I can celebrate now?
Yeah, you got it.
We're gonna be warm tonight.
[ Both laughing ]
Wait, I'm not losing it now.
We've got the fire, and the
first ember turns into a flame.
So that's...
It's just... [chuckles]
It's just...
It's just indescribable.
Every time I get a flame,
and even more here...
♪♪
There's a feeling that all
our technologies, you know,
come together in the most
ancient way of humanity
in the moment when
man begins to master fire.
Valérie: I don't think I could
have found anyone better than you.
Oh, that touches
me. You found water.
You make fire.
Tomorrow, you'll make a
roast chicken, I'm sure of it.
- Yeah.
- It's great.
We have everything.
We have water.
We'll be able to sleep
better than last night.
It won't be so cold,
anyway. I hope not.
We'll be winning, step by step.
And I couldn't be happier.
We'll have to take turns
looking after the fire.
You want to keep it
going till this evening?
I'm not gonna remake it
every two hours. I mean...
Okay.
We have to keep it
going until the end.
I'm not gonna redo it.
- So we need to go look for wood?
Yeah. Big pieces, no?
We'll need them, yeah, for sure.
Sure.
Laurent: So, when valérie talks
to me about remaking the fire,
I'm a little stung by it.
Beyond the technique
you have to acquire,
it's an intense effort,
and she doesn't get it.
I'm a little perplexed
by her attitude.
♪♪
What's this
noise? I don't like it.
Something made a
noise. It's coming closer.
I don't see anything.
[ Rustling ]
Do you think it's sand falling?
Sand? It's leaves.
You see the dry leaves?
Yeah, the dry
leaves are falling.
It's under the leaf.
Aah!
♪♪
[ Speaking French ]
Something made a
noise. It's coming closer.
I don't see anything.
I don't like it.
It's under the leaf.
Aah!
[ Laughs ]
Laurent: And that's
how you get woken up,
you know, in the
middle of the night.
If it runs over your
thigh, it's really...
[ Chuckles ]
It's not very nice to
be woken up by bugs.
♪♪
We managed to keep
the fire burning all night,
so I wasn't cold.
I didn't shiver, so I feel in
better shape than yesterday.
We have drinking water.
Yesterday, we drank some.
This morning, we get up.
No digestive problems,
nothing at all. We're great.
I've just caught a grasshopper.
And we're gonna
cook it and eat it.
And this morning, we still
have the fire, so it's good news.
♪♪
Laurent: So, how does it taste?
It reminds me of corn.
Valérie: It's really
good. You'll like it.
Oh, yeah.
Corn, no?
Maybe you're not
used to eating corn.
Reminds me of
grasshopper. [ Laughs ]
Tastes a bit like
grasshopper, I'd say.
It sticks to your mouth.
Valérie is going to take
care of looking after the fire.
And me... I'm gonna start
cutting out some
sandals from the deerskin
so we can move about.
Laurent: Shall I
measure your feet?
Okay.
I can't wait to have
my deerskin sandals.
I trust him completely.
I think we're gonna
have some great shoes.
I'll make the laces
for the straps?
Afterwards.
We'll have to wet the straps,
and we'll have luxury sandals.
Narrator: Wetting an animal
skin restores some of its flexibility
and softens the texture
to prevent chafing.
Anything you want me to do?
Just look after the fire.
Sure. Where is the fire?
Oh, yeah, over there.
Valérie: It's clearly him
who gives directions because
I'm just discovering
my skill set.
Sometimes I have the feeling
of not being up to speed.
Perfect, the fire.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
I'm just finishing
the deerskin sandals.
This is the fourth one.
Afterwards, we'll have
to leave them to dry,
stretch the strings so
they don't get too tight
and so we can walk
without hurting ourselves.
♪♪
♪♪
Laurent: Have you been asleep?
Unh-unh. No?
Did you have a look at
the fire before you came?
No. No?
I forgot.
Hmm.
I'm not sure. I looked, but I...
I think it was smoking.
I left it alone.
You okay? Yep.
He said, "did you
stoke the fire?"
I said, "no, I totally forgot."
I don't understand
why we have to keep
the fire going all the time.
Valérie seems to
be tired, and fatigue
in this type of environment,
when you don't know it,
can quickly lead to
doing stupid things.
That could have been bad.
♪♪
Laurent: Shall we try it?
Valérie: Okay.
It's long, yeah, but
it's not important.
Well, you can cut it.
Brilliant.
Whoo! Whoo-hoo!
The shoes Laurent made
give me irreplaceable comfort.
They're really
made to fit our feet.
I hope they'll last
for the whole time.
It's a great gift
that he gave me.
♪♪
[ Singsong voice ]
I've caught a lizard,
I've caught a lizard.
[ Normal voice ] Look.
Isn't he beautiful? Yeah, great.
Bravo. First time.
And what shall I do before
I put him in the ashes?
Oh, you'll... you'll have to...
k*ll him? I can't.
Yeah, 'cause...
Yeah, you'll have to do it.
Why? You could do it.
- You want to delegate the death?
- Yes.
Of the meat you're gonna eat?
I don't like k*lling them.
I don't like k*lling things
because I take the life
of a living thing that
hasn't done anything to me.
And, also, it's gonna feed me.
How do I do it? Poor
thing. I don't like this.
Well, you have to
give it a quick blow
or you just twist its neck.
Ugh! Poor guy.
Go on. Don't be...
twist its neck?
I don't like it.
He's also so cute.
I'm not... no, I can't.
I couldn't k*ll everything
we're going to eat.
Why? Even if you eat ants?
Oh, he's alive under my fingers.
Why does he refuse to do it
when it's no problem for him?
I don't understand it.
Ants would be easier.
Yeah, you press it and...
I know, but I feel it alive.
It's not easy.
Ants are alive, too.
Did you k*ll it? Yeah.
I'll put it aside on a stone.
Watch it. Watch it carefully.
Turn it over with your stick.
You can put it directly into...
oh, I dropped it.
Do lizards have
a lot of protein?
Yes.
It's not completely cooked.
Yeah. No, it's...
it's cooked enough.
Go on. Eat it
whole. I'll try it.
There's sand in it. I
dropped it in the sand.
Narrator: Lizards are indeed
an important source of protein.
But Laurent and
valérie have still ingested
less than 400 calories each
during the first five
days of the challenge.
It's urgent for them to
find something to eat.
I can't see any fruit.
♪♪
Look, an edible flower.
I know that.
You hungry?
What is that plant?
I don't know, but it's good.
But there are lots of plants.
I mean, they all
look the same here.
Not this one. I know it.
That's it, for
sure. I'm sure of it.
Laurent is a person who
needs to feel reassured.
He won't just do
anything, even if I tell him
the plant is edible
and I'm sure of it.
So he needs to
have known it already,
to have tested it.
And I understand.
It's no problem.
I know we don't know
each other, after all.
I'm sorry. I'll leave it.
I need to try it
first. No worries.
I don't eat anything
without testing it,
but there's a
problem of confidence.
Not in valérie, but
in her knowledge,
given the first four days.
She doesn't have much
fauna and flora knowledge at all.
No, I'm sure. It's not enough.
99.5%? Come on.
Otherwise, I
wouldn't have done it.
Laurent: She's
starting to get tired,
and sometimes I
think she lacks lucidity.
So that is also a big red
flag for me, you know?
♪♪
Is the fire going
well? All good?
- Yeah.
- Yeah?
Valérie: Don't you
think it's a shame
to keep this fire
going for nothing?
For nothing?
Seeing as you lit it so quickly,
why can't we light
it again tonight?
But the energy it
takes me... The fire?
...to re-light it.
And the energy it takes
me to bring the wood.
Can you imagine?
It'll burn, and tonight
we'll have none left.
You don't realize what it
takes to make a fire from friction,
okay?
You lit the fire quickly,
didn't you? Right?
You don't realize the strain it
takes and the physical effort
it is for the heart, you
know what I mean?
This morning I collected wood,
and I can tell you that after...
you saw the big
pieces I brought.
My heart was pounding, okay?
Okay.
Laurent: When she told
me to make a fire every day
because it's tiring
to collect wood,
she went up a notch
in her lack of awareness
of how much work it is.
The fire took you, what,
two, three minutes?
I was there. I held the bone.
I'm trying to control
my emotions,
but I'm finding her
a bit headstrong.
Laurent: Okay, I don't think you
realize the energy it takes to start
the fire and the risks
that come if we lose it.
Okay. Okay? You're way off.
All right, I'm way
off. That's true.
And what annoyed me
just now was what you said.
Like, "you can make
the fire every day."
I mean, you could also ask me if
I could teach you the technique.
Yeah? And we'll
take turns, or...
You know. Do you see?
Okay.
And I think that's
a cool approach.
I mean, it stays positive.
Of course. I feel
like it's more fair.
You know?
- Okay.
She hasn't asked me to
teach her the technique.
So once again, she's relying on
my knowledge and what I can do.
And I think I've
done quite well so far.
If we catch food and
don't have the fire,
the meat will go bad.
It wastes energy
and the animal's life.
Well, you could
have told me that.
I hadn't guessed
it. I can't guess.
It's not an instinct.
So ask. So explain it.
At the moment, I'm
controlling my reactions,
but if it continues and repeats,
it might start to tire me out.
♪♪
♪♪
The truth is you're
used to lighting fires,
and I don't... I just don't
know the consequences.
I don't think he's gauging
that I'm making as
big an effort as I can.
I can't take much more of this.
♪♪
[ Speaking French ]
Laurent: My objectives today
are centered on finding food.
There's nothing else.
Laurent: See you later.
I'm gonna search nearby
to try to find fruit or fish.
Valérie: Yesterday, it exploded.
This morning, there's
still some tension.
Laurent got up,
didn't say a word.
He's keeping to himself.
I didn't see it like that.
I thought a partnership
should work as a pair.
♪♪
I'm really tired. I don't feel
good in this partnership.
[ Sniffles ]
♪♪
Laurent: In terms of hunger,
I think it's urgent
to start finding food.
I really need to eat.
So my day is really
focused on finding food.
♪♪
I just set a bird trap.
I hope I have a little
bit of meat to eat soon.
[ Exhales ]
Now, the trap I made
for the birds is a snare.
The trigger is made with
the tension from a branch.
So the bird will land there
when it goes for the bait,
and it will trigger the
tension of the branch
and it will be trapped
inside the snare.
Right now, it feels like
the most appropriate trap.
♪♪
♪♪
Valérie: Can we
talk for two seconds?
Yes.
I had based the
success of this adventure
on a partnership that works.
And I think this
one isn't working.
That's it.
I'm surprised that
you can't see that
if we don't agree on something,
we can let a few hours go by.
That's what I did. Okay.
It's been three hours. Right.
I was just saying what I thought
about, you know, what happened.
Yeah, but I have the
right to interrupt you
because I don't agree
with what you're saying.
I've been alone for three hours.
Why didn't you come? I
mean, what were you doing?
Well, I didn't want to see you.
Yeah, but yesterday,
there was another reason,
and the day before...
From where I stand, I
see someone passionate
about survival in
everything that you do.
You chose this experience to
put your knowledge to practice,
and I think that's great.
You can do everything
on your own, though.
You don't need anyone.
I need a partner.
You have a unique
ability to adapt.
That is incredible.
I could do with you
saying that more often.
I'm doing the best I can with,
you know, the hunger
and the fatigue...
Me, too.
...and the motivation
that I have.
It's very difficult to
communicate, I think.
Valérie is experiencing
a dip in morale,
exhaustion, and
sleep deprivation,
which is irreversible, and
with how I'm feeling today here,
you know, there's
nothing I can do.
I've done all I can
to encourage you,
to give you some clues for
everything we have to do here.
Yeah, okay.
If I carry you along
and you also ask me
to talk during the day,
to be interacting with you
for most of the day, you know,
how are we going
to eat, you know?
Maybe you're imagining surviving
or living off your
reserves for three weeks,
but that's not how
I imagine it, so...
Okay. Can I speak now?
You give me something
survival-related to do,
and okay, and I
do something else.
And we're rarely together.
I don't know
what's in your head.
I don't know why you
don't have a more warm
or more human side.
I don't understand why you...
You won't let me speak.
You won't let me finish.
No, it's a joke. I
had nothing to say.
Go on. Carry on.
No, I think I'll stop.
No, you were saying something.
No, it's okay.
We have diverged, and
we can't meet in the middle.
In my element, I know what to do
in terms of survival, you know,
whereas valérie
arrived lacking in skills.
There's sort of a
disconnect from reality,
from the human body
and the bare necessities.
I've heard your argument.
Okay, then. The
discussion is closed, then.
Okay.
Very good.
I'm gonna stop talking to him.
I won't go any further.
After the discussion we
had, there's a real problem
between us now.
Narrator: After hardly six
days, Laurent and valérie,
who were counting on each
other to pull off this adventure,
find themselves in what
seems to be a dead end.
♪♪
♪♪
Valérie: This morning, I woke
up and it was clear in my head,
I don't want to go on like this.
There's some tension,
but above all, I don't
feel right in this pair.
I made my decision.
I'm going to quit the adventure.
I based the success
of this adventure
on a partnership that
works, and it's not working.
I think you're capable of
continuing on your own.
Yeah.
I'm sad that you want to leave.
I...
I wish you a good recovery
if you choose to leave.
Thank you, and I
wish the best for you.
My greatest fear was
that my partner would quit,
but I don't have a choice.
I just find it hard to hear
her say that the reason
is our relationship that is
making her want to leave.
That's... [scoffs]
That's cowardly of her.
[ Speaking French ]
Yes, hello, it's valérie.
I want to tell you,
I've made the decision
to leave the challenge.
Man: Okay, understood.
I'll be right there.
Valérie is stopping.
It's fine. It's her decision.
She's an adult. So
I'll have to adapt.
This will be a big
challenge for me.
This is a nonmedical extraction.
The medical team can stand down.
Okay. Let's go. Okay.
♪♪
Narrator: On the morning
of her seventh day,
unable to shrug off
her dispute with Laurent,
valérie leaves her partner
alone in the savanna.
Laurent: I was
turned towards her.
You know, my eyes
were following her
to at least wave
goodbye, but nothing.
I mean, it's horrible that
she didn't even turn around.
It wouldn't have
taken so much time.
♪♪
Valérie: For Laurent,
it's a shame that it
ended up like this,
but maybe in the
end it's what he needs.
I regret absolutely nothing.
I've proved myself,
which is very important,
and I'm stopping.
♪♪
Laurent: At the river, I
felt like something was
unloading in me,
a sort of sadness.
You know, these are things
that have really hurt me,
hurt me deeply.
[ Thunder cracks ]
♪♪
It's raining just unbelievably.
I'm under my skin
in tortoise mode
so the water runs off.
♪♪
For the first time in my life,
I'm in a survival situation,
and the worst
thing is I chose it.
And it's quite hard
for me to accept.
[ Thunder cracks ]
♪♪
After the night I just had,
I decided to make an oven
inside the shelter.
A little shelter
will protect the fire
from the rain more easily.
The fire is my first element.
It's just the two of us,
so it's up to me
to look after it 24/7.
[ Monkey screeching ]
I'm going to get the
clay that I put in the water
and I'm gonna fill
in the holes around.
♪♪
There. I finished
the little oven.
It's very hot there.
A good beefsteak would
cook in five minutes on there.
Now all I need is the beefsteak.
Yeah. Mmm!
[ Chuckles ]
♪♪
I'm going over to the bird trap.
I can see that I've
caught something.
As I went to check my
traps, I saw there was a bird
just stuck in the snare.
The head has
been partially eaten.
Oh, I really did arrive
right on time. Ah!
My first meal! Really
been looking forward to this.
I will truly honor it, and
it'll do me a lot of good.
I think I'll eat well tonight.
♪♪
Narrator: The bird
that Laurent is plucking
is a natal francolin, a
common species in the region.
Laurent: This flesh, this meat
that I've been craving so much
in the last few days,
I can say to
myself that I did it.
It's here. It's really
an intense joy.
I'm gonna cook it now.
It's gonna be a feast.
♪♪
Narrator: This little
fowl will bring Laurent
90 grams of protein as
well as lipids and vitamins
that his body has
been sorely lacking
since the start
of his adventure.
Mmm, so good.
True delicacy.
♪♪
Narrator: 48 hours
after his dream meal,
Laurent seems to
have already exhausted
his newfound resources.
I think what I really
need now is fat.
I'm dreaming of fat.
Narrator: At this stage, Laurent
is ready to swallow anything.
There are some tree worms
here that are called mopane.
Wow. Yeah, it's quite unusual.
[ Grunts ]
Damn it!
♪♪
Oh, that's good. I got it.
♪♪
It was good, but
there wasn't much.
♪♪
I decided to watch the fish
and follow it with the harpoon,
follow it until it stops,
and when it stops,
I approach slowly,
get as close as possible,
come up behind, and...
♪♪
Yes!
Now it's time to try the griddle
that's in my new oven, so...
♪♪
♪♪
The taste is fantastic.
It's indescribable,
especially when your
body needs it so much.
But eating something
like this is... [chuckles]
It's indescribable.
There are no words to
say what I'm experiencing
in this moment
on a sensory level.
♪♪
[ Insects chirping ]
Tonight, there are
some new noises.
I don't know what it is.
I've never heard this before.
I've seen some hyena
tracks on the riverbed.
I hope it's not one of them.
♪♪
♪♪
[ Speaking French ]
I'm going to cut
a piece of the skin
to make myself kind of a skirt,
to protect my private
area for the extraction
and, you know, as a nod
to the evolution of humanity.
And now I just can't
wait for tomorrow.
Narrator: To reach
the extraction point,
Laurent will need to hike 5
miles over blistering terrain,
finishing with a grueling
climb to the top of a mountain.
Thank you for being here
from the start until now.
This place has done me good,
and it's also made me suffer.
All right. Ciao, bye-bye.
These things are a part of me,
and I'm a part of this place
now, and that's forever.
♪♪
This extraction
will be long, I think,
and what I'm worried about most
is my current physical
condition and the heat.
This place requires
constant vigilance
there are stumps and
thickets everywhere.
It would be a real shame
if the adventure stopped
here due to a snake bite.
♪♪
Incredible.
This is it. I'm at the
bottom of the mountain.
I can see the extraction
point in the distance.
Last climb.
I'm struggling,
physically, to move.
My thighs are very jittery.
I hope my legs
hold out to the end.
Every step brings
me closer to the end.
Oh, I'm super close.
Come on. Come on, courage.
Here we are.
I've arrived. I'm at
the extraction point.
[ Exhales ]
♪♪
Hey!
Here!
It's a very powerful experience.
Yeah. Thank you.
[ Laughs ]
It's a joy to have done
it, a joy to come out of it.
It's a joy to be able to say
that, in my life, I did that.
Honestly, I'm very
proud of myself.
♪♪
Oh, that's it. It's over.
Back to civilization.
Giving yourself an objective
and achieving it always
makes you proud.
Yeah, it is a satisfied Laurent
who is coming back to France.
I got to the end.
♪♪
Yes!
[ Chuckles ]
♪♪
Narrator: After
three weeks surviving
in the South African
savanna, Laurent,
who originally
weighed 176 pounds,
has lost more than 15 pounds.
Alone one week
into the adventure,
he knew to review his objectives
and adapt his knowledge
to this complex environment
with total respect for nature.
His primitive survival
rating increases from 8.5
to 8.8 out of 10.
Valérie gave up
after only one week.
She lost 13 pounds.
A novice in primitive survival,
she overestimated her
adaptability and her capacity
to act intelligently
with her partner.
Her PSR drops from 5.7 to 5.3.
Rather than clashing
with his environment,
Laurent was able
to merge with it.
He is proof that symbiosis
with nature is key to surviving...
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