What I fear has just happened.
It's raining, I'm outside,
and everything is pitch-black.
We'll see, but I think tonight
is going to be really horrible.
I've never been
so cold in my life.
[ Thunder crashes ]
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.
...no water, no clothes...
- The storm.
Narrator: ...Will put their
survival skills to the ultimate test.
[ Thunder crashes ]
Woman: I hear 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!
Narrator: In northern Croatia,
two strangers will
attempt to survive
in the heart of one of
the most primitive forests
in Europe. Appearing peaceful,
it is inhospitable to man
because it is the hunting ground
of great predators
...bears and wolves.
But it is also
home to wild boars,
snakes, and vipers.
In this dense
forest, the vegetation
is full of poisonous plants
and deadly mushrooms.
Weather conditions are
extreme, temperature fluctuations
from 86 degrees fahrenheit
during the day to 50
degrees fahrenheit
at night are difficult for
the human body to bear
and carry a real
risk of hypothermia.
The two participants must
adapt to this particularly hostile
environment where unexpected
dangers are everywhere.
Michael: I'm Michael, I'm 43,
and I'm an
electromechanical engineer.
I did two years in
the paramilitaries.
I did lots of commando
training to learn
to survive in different
climates and different places.
I practiced bushcraft.
It's making do with
what we have on us
and what nature
gives us. The military
also taught me a lot
about the mental side.
Sometimes you shouldn't
listen to your body,
you just need to go to the end.
For this adventure,
it's about the challenge
and surpassing yourself.
I want to prove to myself
that I can go even further.
It's certainly the most extreme
challenge I've ever taken on.
It's weird not
having clothes on,
being outside in the
middle of the forest,
it's quite disturbing.
There's no protection
from the sun, the cold.
I'm at the mercy of
the smallest thing.
There's no barrier
between us and nature,
so that'll be an
extra challenge.
[ Chuckles ] Let's go.
Benedicte: I'm
Benedicte, I'm 34,
I'm from Belgium, and
I'm a nursery teacher,
I'm lucky to have around
three months of holiday a year,
I take the opportunity to see
what's going on elsewhere.
I travel independently, alone.
I love being in nature,
being cut off from the world.
It's decluttering to be
without all these comforts.
It feels good. I think
my strength is my mind.
I've never done an
extreme survival experience,
but I'm not someone who
gets overwhelmed by stress.
I think my mind
is the main thing.
I feel a little naked,
but surprisingly,
I feel in my natural element.
I'm not bothered by this.
However, I tell
myself I might be cold.
The nights are
likely to be cool.
That's my biggest concern.
♪♪
Narrator: To take
part in this challenge,
candidates are evaluated
by experts on their abilities
to survive in a
hostile environment.
Each challenger is given
a primitive survival rating,
or PSR.
Michael, a former soldier
with forest survival training,
is a nature lover.
Thanks to his
wilderness experience,
the experts have
given him a PSR of 7.1.
Benedicte travels alone
and seeks out nature
to cut herself off
from the world.
Thanks to her
solid mental state,
the experts have
given her a PSR of 6.2.
Michael: For my
partner, I'd like someone
with a can-do spirit.
We'll need good
cohesion between us.
The goal of the experience
is to both get to the end.
Benedicte: I will have a problem
if my partner complains all the time
or if we can't communicate.
-Hi, I'm Benedicte -hi, Michael.
How are you? Not too stressed?
A little, but good.
- Same.
- It's beautiful.
- We're going to enjoy it.
- We already are. Good.
- Are we going to see our bags?
- Yes.
Narrator: To survive
in this primitive forest,
each participant can
bring one essential item...
A machete. Super. I
also thought about that.
It's good to have
it. It'll be useful.
And me, I brought a tarp.
It's good for sleeping.
- It can be practical.
- To protect from the rain.
- For the rain.
Perfect.
These are the two ideal
objects I had in my mind.
I found Benedicte's
choice interesting.
Given the climate we have,
the tarp will
definitely be useful.
Narrator: To find their way,
a rudimentary map
of the area is provided.
Let's see what it says.
How do we know
what side we're on?
There's moss there on the tree,
which means the north
would be over there.
So that would be it.
So considering the scale,
it's around three
miles, I think.
Benedicte: At the moment, I
think I'll get on well with Michael.
He seems to have good
survival skills, so I think
he should be a good
partner to complement me.
Let's go. The bowl,
we may need it.
- Yes.
Narrator: In this
area, it's impossible
to make a fire-resistant
wooden container.
A metal pot has, therefore,
been added to their items.
Benedicte and
Michael's adventure
will start with a 3.2-mile
hike through the forest
in order to reach a valley
with more resources.
Michael: If I'm going
too fast, just say so.
Benedicte: No, it's a good pace.
Being barefoot all the time,
it's not easy.
You have to watch
where you put your feet.
I wonder if the
skin gets used to it.
After a while, we'll feel
nothing, we'll have calluses.
You really think our
feet will get used to it?
Michael: At first
it's not a great joy.
It's tiring, it's hot, and
it's really tiring on the feet.
There are trees in the
way. Lots of brambles, too.
So it's not a fitness trail
that you can take a stroll on.
Michael: I'm also going
to start looking, you know,
while we walk to collect
things for the fire...
-Good point -...Of a
kind. That should...
Michael: On the path, I spotted a
lot of things which could be useful
and which I know.
We must also hope
that we have what it
takes, but I prefer to plan.
It would be a shame to miss out
on this stuff which
could help us,
and which in the
end, we won't have.
Shall we keep going?
Benedicte: I find my partner
complementary because I don't have
really extreme survival skills.
I'm glad he can teach
me different things.
[Bleep] There's a
lot of sharp stones.
♪♪
Oh! Ah!
I would give anything
for a pair of good
trekking shoes.
♪♪
I don't like it
because we can't see
what's under the leaves.
Here, it's full of stones.
Benedicte: Yeah, I feel
them. Concerning the foot pain,
I find his complaints annoying.
It's almost all he talks about.
- Thanks, rocks.
- It hurts me, too.
So I think to myself,
"if I don't complain,
why does he do it?"
Michael: Finally, this looks
like the spot we're aiming for.
Benedicte: It looks like
a nice place to call home
for the next three weeks.
We could, you know,
use this ledge here to
build a shelter with the tarp.
Yes.
It won't be a
3-star hotel, but...
Yeah, it's fine.
We'll give it a try like that.
Anyway, you have to try.
Benedicte: Michael
takes the lead in the sense
that he's comfortable in nature.
It's true that I only know about
shelter construction from books.
So for the first night, the
idea to make a basic hut
very simple seems good to me.
Michael: All ready,
it's not too bad.
Yeah, I agree.
Here we go.
Michael: We made a
small makeshift shelter
thanks to Benedicte's tarp.
We hope that I can light a fire.
Did you find the
wood you needed?
I hope so.
Narrator: Michael is trying
to light his fire thanks to a bow
made from a piece of wood
and the cord of his machete.
Benedicte: Do we
have any arrows?
No, we're not going
to catch much with this.
But anyway, it's a bow.
Let's go. Okay. Seems
good to me [bleep].
Michael: Starting a fire is
complicated at the moment.
I can't find the
wood type I want.
So tonight, it's going
to be a real challenge
if I don't get a move
on and light this fire.
♪♪
Benedicte: Is it going so fast
that there's already smoke?
Crazy.
- If done right, it can.
♪♪
I don't have it.
You're close, I'm sure of it.
Benedicte: Since I don't
know how to start a fire,
I'm watching Michael try.
It doesn't stick, it slides.
I almost want to shake him
and say, "it's coming. Faster."
It's a pretty extreme
feeling to tell myself
that I'm relying
on someone else.
Why is it skidding?
♪♪
Michael: She's watching me do
it and she doesn't offer me help.
Nothing. So at the moment,
I'm not convinced about
her survival qualities.
She hasn't shown anything
special except mentally.
It's a bit unbearable at times.
Let's go. This is
the one. Come on.
♪♪
Benedicte: Come on. Look,
there's a good bit of smoke.
I'm not that far off.
I've got sawdust falling.
I just have to get it to catch.
Michael: I'm really
struggling with the fire.
I have smoke, but
no embers. Come on.
♪♪
[Bleep]
♪♪
[Bleep] [ Exhales ]
Benedicte: "Come
on, keep going."
My first thought is
that I'm dying of thirst,
but then I feel bad for him
because I can see he's giving
it his all and he just can't do it.
And I can't really help him
because I've never made a fire.
Apart from watching
and encouraging him,
I can't do much.
♪♪
[ Exhales sharply ]
It's not happening.
There's nothing to do.
[Bleep]
Michael: For the moment,
we'll need to give up on the fire.
We'll have to try again,
but it might be complicated
due to the humidity
and the wood quality.
Three weeks without fire,
however, would be tricky.
♪♪
Benedicte: Tonight,
we won't have fire.
They say, "without fire
means without water."
- The night will be tricky.
- The night will be hard.
It's not hot, and
there's a risk of rain.
Our first night will
not be enjoyable.
♪♪
I realize that I'm quite cold,
especially in my upper body.
So I change position
to the fetus position.
This is much better,
even if my body's
already sore...
From staying in this position.
♪♪
The first night was
quite cold, I would say.
We got up quite early.
It must be 5:00 in the morning.
We'll have to reinforce
the shelter, that's for sure.
We won't last three
weeks in such cold.
Michael: We have to
scrape away everything there
and bring it there.
And here, make a basin
by digging it a little bit inside
to put our shelter there.
Can you manage that?
- Yes.
While I continue
to bring back wood
to put there and
put it over there.
Is that okay?
- Yes.
Michael: Benedicte expects
me to tell her what to do a lot.
If I'm not behind her to
push her or guide her,
she won't move forward.
Narrator: Michael takes
on the bulk of the work
and uses up a lot of energy.
♪♪
You okay?
You starting to get tired?
- A bit, but it's okay.
It's only been a
day without eating,
but the little that
we do, we feel it.
Pull the tree trunks there.
Benedicte: What
I'm doing is okay,
but with lifting tree
trunks, I'd be exhausted.
Michael: The best would
be to show Benedicte
some things she's not used to.
After a while, it can help
her do some things by herself.
There's a way to
utilize everything there.
Always put yourself
down. You hold it.
If necessary, you
pull it towards you.
And the best is a
sharp slanting blow
and away from you.
- Like this?
- Yes.
The difficulty is hitting
it in the same place.
You saw that you were hitting
the wrong side of the blade?
You're gonna smash your hand.
Look, you're here.
And when you hit,
your hand is limited
to come and hit that one.
So watch out.
Okay, like that.
Benedicte: Michael
is very attentive.
He takes time to
explain things to me.
But after two days of him
telling me how to do things,
I'm just not clicking
with him as my partner.
It's not necessarily negative.
I just attribute it to being
the start of the adventure.
It intrigues me, anyway,
when I looked up there.
An after-dinner stroll or not?
- I really want to go.
- Even if there's nothing to digest.
To do well, we
should begin to identify
if we can catch a bit
of game or something,
because even if we
don't feel hungry yet,
I think it will
happen fairly quickly.
I really have a
problem with my feet.
Don't put your foot
down too hard, okay?
♪♪
Are you still alive?
Yes.
There's no summit.
It looks like it just
keeps going up.
But it's much brighter.
It's good for morale.
There's just a bit more sun here
but no water.
But, you see, there's nothing.
I did not expect to land
in such steep and
such tough terrain,
to spot game or
that sort of thing.
♪♪
There's a nice hoof mark here.
I think that deer
have gone by here.
Deer have passed by.
There were two here.
There, there.
It's a dream come true.
They were here, and
then they passed by here.
In the end, a slightly
unsuccessful expedition.
From the tracks, it gives
ideas, but it's always the same.
How do you
successfully trap a doe,
which is a rather
imposing animal to catch,
with minimal equipment?
But hope gives life.
That's what we say.
♪♪
Do you want salad?
- Did you find wild garlic?
- No. Dandelions.
- Nice! Yes, I would enjoy that.
I found some, too!
It's dandelions, too,
when it's like that, chiseled?
- Yeah, serrated.
Narrator: Dandelions are
a wild plant rich in nutrients.
A source of iron, potassium,
vitamin C and vitamin A,
they provide the body
with precious energy.
Benedicte: We're happy
we found dandelions,
as we haven't eaten
since yesterday morning.
It'll help us fill our
stomachs a little.
Come on, let's eat.
Michael: For the moment,
we still haven't
caught any meat to eat.
This evening, we'll
still enjoy a good salad.
Dandelions!
♪♪
Benedicte: It's good, right?
In salads, it's good with bacon.
That's it.
And soft-boiled eggs.
Benedicte: Each of us
are trying to ask questions
to be interested in the other,
but I feel like it's to
cover up the gaps.
♪♪
This is an unusual situation,
to find yourself with a stranger
and having to bond like that.
This will be the main
thing to think about
because, for me, at the
moment, it's the main difficulty.
I really can't.
♪♪
All right. I ate well.
♪♪
Narrator: While Benedicte
questions the partnership,
Michael stays focused on fire.
♪♪
♪♪
Michael: [Bleep] I don't
have the strength in my arms.
[ Sighs ]
I'm doing the
same thing. [Bleep]
It smells like fire, right?
It's like yesterday.
It's smoking, but that's all.
- Really?
Michael: It's another
night without fire.
[ Sighs ]
Benedicte: I was thinking,
"maybe I'm an idiot,
but I think we could
live without fire."
But that would mean
we would take the risk
of drinking contaminated water.
Narrator: The two have
waited for over 24 hours
to be able to drink safely.
But tonight, Benedicte cracks.
Benedicte: I hope this
water has a great vintage.
Narrator: Waterborne illnesses are
one of the biggest threats to survival.
Benedicte risks typhoid
and parasitic worms
by wanting to quench her thirst.
♪♪
Michael: At bedtime, it
goes through my head,
I ask, "what are we doing here,"
the fact that we're
not eating much,
we wonder about the fire.
So, we'll have another night
[sighs] Without any heat
and with all the
ensuing frustration.
♪♪
♪♪
Narrator: The third
day begins very silently.
♪♪
♪♪
What did we say for today?
Do we try and find food?
It's not that it
stresses me out,
but I think it'll be hard.
I don't really see anything.
It's worth going for a walk.
Michael: The lower 500
feet is very tiring, very painful.
But we have to
because we eventually
need to find something to eat.
It's a bit steep
over there, isn't it?
I came this way
before, and it was fine.
I'm not even on rocks,
and my feet are already whining.
Ah [bleep]
Even these leaves hurt. If I can't
walk, there's no way I'm making 21 days.
Benedicte: I feel like Michael
is beginning to tire physically.
In terms of his mood, I
think it's starting to drop.
So we will have
to find solutions.
And at the moment, I don't
know how to get past that.
Watch out. There are nettles.
In any case, we can
make nettle soup.
Great. I've been
dreaming of that.
That's rhubarb, right?
Wait.
♪♪
Let's see.
Do we take the elderberry, too?
I don't know. I recognize it,
but I don't know how to eat it.
Michael: We found some
plants, some interesting things,
but still no trace of game.
And, for me, these plants
aren't worth the pain on my feet.
♪♪
My feet hurt so much that
I have pins and needles.
Crazy thing.
- Even like that?
Yeah, just moving them.
I feel like I've run a marathon.
Michael: We'll have to find
a solution for my foot pain.
If not, there's no way
I'm getting through this.
It's really annoying me.
Benedicte: Michael and I do
not see survival in the same way.
When I left for
such an adventure,
I had in my mind that I
should take it upon myself
to embrace the
discomforts to come.
Michael just focuses
on the negatives
without trying to see if there's
a solution around the problem.
Michael: The night may be
another chance to mull over, to think,
and I'm not sure
I'll sleep well.
I have a lot of things
running through my mind,
so things could be tough.
♪♪
♪♪
Narrator: In four days, Michael
has eaten almost nothing.
He's been unsuccessful
in making fire,
and his feet are
suffering terribly.
His morale is also
starting to suffer.
So the fourth morning, I
really don't feel comfortable.
The reality... I have
super-sore feet.
I'm really struggling to
throw myself into this.
I can't see myself lasting
like this for three weeks
and then going six miles
for the extraction point.
If I don't eat, if I
don't do anything,
even if I have
reserves, I'm not sure
that my body will hold on.
Well...
I think I'm gonna stop.
I've been thinking
about it since last night.
I feel like I can't do
what I wanted to achieve.
But I'm really struggling,
and I feel like an old
man with my stick.
I particularly
feel that I can't...
I can't reach the goals.
That you set? Mm-hmm.
It will remain a
personal failure.
I understand.
There's a mix of frustration
and lack of motivation about it.
[ Sighs ] And
these [bleep] feet.
Like, sometimes it's the
[bleep] stupidest things
which piss you off the most.
Crap.
Benedicte: Michael's departure
is more a matter of pride
in the sense that
he's starting to realize
that it's tough finding
things in nature.
Michael for security. I
want to leave the challenge.
Okay, thank you.
Well, there you go.
So, I'm abandoning
you. [ Chuckles ]
I'll do it without
you. I'll have to.
I'll leave you my
machete. It can help.
I think so, since it
seems a storm is coming.
I won't need it
for the time being.
[ Chuckles ]
I wish you good luck.
Good luck.
Thank you.
Michael: Leaving
Benedicte alone bothers me.
But to find out
that I'm a numskull
isn't something I like.
I'm not used to relying on
people for food or surviving,
so it's not worth
sticking to the adventure.
I'm not as mentally
strong as I thought,
or I'm not anymore.
Narrator: A week
in to the adventure,
Michael has mentally cracked.
He's chosen to quit.
All right?
Yeah.
- You still have strength?
- Yeah.
Do you want to quit?
This is your last
chance. Are you sure?
Yes.
Okay, so we'll go now.
Okay.
Well, Benedicte...
Safe journey back. Enjoy it.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Narrator: By deciding to leave,
Michael has left
the forest behind.
But he's also left
his partner alone.
Without fire or extensive
survival techniques,
Benedicte must last
another two weeks
if she wants to get to
the end of this challenge.
Benedicte: It's hard
because I needed him
to eat, to cut down
big trees, to make fire.
It's clear that, without
him, there's no fire.
I also doubt that I can
catch animals without him.
So, there will be difficulties.
On the other hand, I tell myself
that, even on a survival level,
it will be tough.
But I feel that,
on a morale level,
it will be easier by myself.
♪♪
[ Thunder rumbling ]
Here we go.
My first night alone.
The cold makes
everything complicated.
The rain, too. It's been
three hours at least,
without having a watch,
that I've been in the shelter
trying to warm myself
up with dead leaves.
It's been at least three
hours since I had to piss.
My stomach hurts, and...
The cold is worse than the pain,
so I can't get out and go there.
I don't think I've ever
been so cold in my life.
I hope I can survive the night.
[ Thunder crashes ]
Benedicte: Here I am
bundled up in my leaf packet.
The tough thing about
sleeping on leaves
is...
...is that they're
already itchy.
In addition, there
are some insects
because I can feel them biting.
I would say they're red ants.
We'll see tomorrow morning.
I think I'll suffer since
the ground is quite hard.
In any case, I'm already happy
to have found a space
where it isn't raining on me.
So I hope this continues
and I can sleep a little.
♪♪
♪♪
It's the end of
the fourth night.
The sun rose a moment ago.
I'm still in bed.
Every morning is the
same. I find it hard to...
to get up,
especially because
it's even colder outside.
♪♪
The fact that the
tiredness accumulates
tells me the priority is to
continue to improve the shelter.
It was very difficult
to tolerate sleeping
on itchy leaves
and insects which bit me.
Narrator: By staying active,
Benedicte finds the best ways
to survive by herself
in this environment.
Her priority is to insulate
her shelter from the cold.
Benedicte: Psychologically,
I try not to think about the
fact that I'm alone too much.
My challenge is
to hold on mentally.
Survival isn't necessarily
about hunting or making fire.
It's simply the
instinct to stay alive.
It's the survival instinct
which gets going.
♪♪
Losing track of
time is tough for me.
I don't have the
same references.
As things progress,
I can manage time,
but it's quite unpleasant
not knowing what time it is.
Narrator: Without references
or anyone to share her day with,
Benedicte decides
to create a calendar.
Benedicte: Today is Sunday.
So tonight will be
pretty much a third of it.
Just seeing these
five lines, I tell myself
that even if time isn't passing,
it's progressing anyway,
and I'm going to get to the end.
♪♪
Narrator: Always active,
Benedicte goes to
explore the surroundings
to try to find something to eat.
Benedicte: To keep surviving,
what I'll need to put
in place is finding food.
And knowing that
I'm not a hunter,
I'm a bit stuck.
I can't really see
what I could eat.
♪♪
I just found an earthworm.
I realize I'm not
very comfortable
with this type of insect.
I can't bring
myself to touch it.
I'm also scared
of slugs and snails.
And when I look at its
body, it reminds me of them.
I don't know if I can eat it.
It's still moving. It's crazy.
♪♪
I doubt that these little
things can nourish me,
but I need to try anyway.
You've got to give
yourself the best chance
of getting to the end.
Narrator: Benedicte is aware
she'll have to surpass her limits
to survive in the forest alone.
She tries her best
to eat the worm.
♪♪
[ Clears throat ]
Benedicte: This black worm...
For the moment, I can't
do it, but then I'm hungry.
I tell myself that I need
to find other resources,
which I haven't found yet.
In terms of food, I
need to keep going.
♪♪
Narrator: Benedicte's
second night alone is difficult.
The weather is getting
worse, and a storm is coming.
Benedicte: I'm worried.
I hear thunder rumbling.
Unfortunately, I think
I'm gonna have to
remove this tarp
around me, put up a roof.
I'll admit, I find it
hard to get started.
I think it'll be tough to put
up this tarp, as it's pitch-dark.
[ Thunder crashes ]
What I feared has just happened.
It's raining, I'm outside, it's
completely dark, as you can see,
and I think it's gonna
be a horrible night.
I don't know how I'll manage
to put up this tarp correctly.
I might just have to
sleep in the rain tonight.
♪♪
Narrator: It rained all night
without breaks until the morning.
Benedicte: I've been
lying here for hours
waiting for the rain to stop.
I thought when it
stopped, I'd get up.
I need to go and see if I
can find something to eat.
♪♪
I decided to use the
tarp to make a garment,
but I have no idea
how I can do it.
But it would help a lot if...
if I was a bit warmer
during the day.
Narrator: Benedicte builds up
her courage to leave the shelter
in hopes of finding
something to eat.
In six days, she's only eaten
some dandelion leaves
and a piece of rhubarb.
♪♪
♪♪
Benedicte: I found
a yellow mushroom.
It inspires me.
It doesn't seem
toxic, poisonous.
It's just a pretty mushroom.
I'm going to eat it. At
worst, it will make me ill.
But it doesn't look like a
mushroom which could k*ll me.
Narrator: Benedicte
is taking a real risk.
In this forest, there are
lots of toxic mushrooms.
In survival, it can be deadly
to underestimate the danger
of an unidentifiable species
before eating it.
♪♪
♪♪
Benedicte: I ate the
whole mushroom.
I know it's not very sensible.
I should have tested
a little on my skin first,
tried a little bit and
see how I react.
But I love mushrooms.
I couldn't resist it.
Hopefully, I don't
regret that decision.
♪♪
Yesterday, I ate a mushroom,
ignoring the potential dangers.
I'm glad to see I'm still alive
and I'm not hurting anywhere.
But it's definitely a
lesson for the future.
I tell myself that I
shouldn't be that risky,
even if I really love mushrooms.
Narrator: Three days
after her partner tapped out,
Benedicte is feeling the
effects of being alone.
Benedicte: I didn't
think it would be so tough
to stay here alone for so long.
And as I reflect,
I would say that
this is the toughest situation
I've ever experienced.
Narrator: As the days go by,
Benedicte works to
sustain her life in the forest.
Unable to hunt, she
barely feeds herself
and is seriously malnourished.
The cold paralyzes her.
She stays in her shelter,
listless for entire days
or curled up in
her tarp in the sun,
the only way she can
recuperate a little energy
to get to the extraction point.
Benedicte: The idea of putting
myself in an animal's shoes
comes to mind more and
more in the sense that maybe
I can get to a point of
having this survival instinct
to successfully feed myself.
I have no idea if I can do
it, but that would be the idea.
♪♪
Narrator: A few days from
the end of the challenge,
Benedicte is
considerably weaker.
She's barely eaten anything
but continues to
leave her shelter
and follow her
survival instinct,
still in the hopes
of finding food.
♪♪
♪♪
Benedicte: I managed
to trap my first frog.
When I turn her
over, she's orange.
Given the color, I don't know.
Am I gonna die
while eating this?
And it also disgusts me.
I... [ Exhales sharply ]
But it's a good opportunity to
have a good dose of protein.
Narrator: In this primitive forest,
some frogs can be poisonous.
It is not just essential
to recognize the species,
it is also recommended
to never eat a raw animal.
♪♪
Benedicte: When I
taste the intestine,
it has a very
chemical, special taste,
so I think it's the
animal's stool.
So I left that bit here.
For the rest, there are
little pieces of pink meat.
♪♪
The texture is very sticky.
The thighs seem
less unpleasant to me,
more natural because
there's a bone,
so it's easier than
the rest of the toad.
♪♪
Here are the leftovers of
my first protein-rich meal.
I've had enough for today.
I don't think I can
eat frog again.
I realize that I may be
less aware of the dangers.
I also imagine that it must
be the survival instinct.
The body goes
into survival mode...
Because there isn't a choice.
♪♪
Since my first days here,
I've thought a lot about
this extraction hike.
It's tough to know if I
have enough energy.
Hunger and fatigue
have exhausted my body.
Going six miles in these
conditions may be difficult.
Narrator: With
significant weight loss,
Benedicte cannot just
count on her mental strength
to endure a six-mile hike
to reach the extraction point.
♪♪
♪♪
Benedicte: I'm
frozen this morning,
so if I make it to
the extraction point,
I'll be happy, given the fact that
the cold is really paralyzing me.
At the moment, I'm just
thinking about warming up
because I'm dying of cold.
Nothing else matters.
♪♪
What will make me
successful is the mind.
It's like in a marathon,
there's a moment
when the whole body gives up
and it's the mind
that keeps going.
I really don't want
to get my feet wet.
My feet feel like ice cubes.
It really looks like
another season.
We've gone from
summer to winter.
I can't take this cold anymore.
I don't know if I've
ever been so cold.
I don't remember.
With this icy and rigid
feeling in my body,
I have no idea how I
can keep going forward.
I tell myself that
if I stop, I'll die.
I'm so cold.
Narrator: Benedicte has
only traveled one mile.
It's beyond her resources
and surpasses her
limits to get there.
♪♪
Benedicte: When I
set foot in the icy water,
I feel the cold going
through my whole body.
And it's minus 10
degrees all over my body.
I don't think my body
can handle this any longer.
♪♪
Benedicte: [Bleep]
The wind is super-cold.
I don't see how I can warm up.
I'm afraid of passing out.
I'm so cold, my
heart is pounding.
Narrator: By walking
in 50-degree water,
Benedicte
significantly increases
her risk of hypothermia.
Benedicte: I don't know
how long it's been since I left.
At least an hour,
hour and a half.
I feel there's still
a long way to go.
I'm not close to getting there.
♪♪
I'm so fed up with this walk.
I'll never get
there this slowly.
♪♪
I've done difficult
things in life,
like running marathons,
but this, I feel,
is as much physical
as mental t*rture.
♪♪
I feel paralyzed,
as if my ability to
move is almost absent.
♪♪
If I think, I stop, it's over.
I don't have a choice.
I need to continue.
♪♪
♪♪
It's beautiful, all these
ferns. It's a really green field.
I think I'm there soon if I
get to the end of these ferns.
I think all that's left is
to climb this meadow.
It would be crazy, but I think.
♪♪
I'm super happy because
it's sunny and warm here.
It's a really
incredible feeling.
It's like I'm out of danger.
I see a truck.
It's the first time
I've felt so relieved.
I've never experienced such
a tough situation in my life,
so this sense of extreme
relief is an unusual feeling.
It's a relief to finally be able
to stop being worried, stressed,
to be subjected to the
extremes of mother nature.
Very nice.
Your chariot awaits.
♪♪
I wonder how my
mind could handle it all.
It's really incredible what the
body is able to do to survive.
♪♪
This experience is
even more intense
than anything I've
ever experienced.
I'm proud of myself for holding
on in the forest for 21 days.
It's not bad.
♪♪
Narrator: After three
weeks of extreme survival
in the heart of a
primitive forest,
Benedicte made it to the end
of this incredible adventure
on her own.
At the end of this experience,
she lost 22 pounds,
but she never
stopped progressing
despite the storms, the
icy cold, and the solitude.
Due to her mental
strength and determination,
experts adjusted her
PSR from 6.2 to 6.6.
Michael left the
adventure after four days
and lost four pounds.
Despite his survival skills,
he didn't have the
mental strength,
and his physical
weakness overcame him.
Experts readjusted
his PSR from 7.1 to 5.0.
Due to her extraordinary mind,
Benedicte knew how
to bravely keep going
through all the trials she
faced in the Croatian forest
Naked and Afraid.
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