synopsis

 

Construction work in southern Chile has been going on for decades: with stubborn determination a highway is being blasted into the majestic landscape of Patagonia. Chile’s Route 7 or 'Carretera Austral' is meant to connect the country's center with its southern tip. To this day, the only way to get there by land leads through Argentina. In the 1970s military dictator Augusto Pinochet made the road construction a national priority. At his command, up to 10,000 construction soldiers toiled under the most adverse conditions.

​

Despite enormous efforts, construction is far from complete. On Chile`s narrow territory the way south is blocked by rainforests, steep mountains, fjords and a huge ice field. The documentary takes viewers on a journey into this breathtaking wilderness and explores the impact of the construction project on people and nature in the region?

​​

​

​

​

​

​