Every summer, hundreds of thousands of spectators visit monster car shows to watch the exploits of extreme stuntmen, ready to take any risk.
From huge 4x4s that pulverize and crush all kinds of cars to lorries that rear up like wild horses, spitting flames from their gleaming exhausts, these brightly-colored cars seem to come straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster. Then there are the motorcyclists who, clinging to their handlebars, fly through hoops of fire at 120 km/hour, then soar through the air. Who are these madmen perched on their monster cars and horses of fire?
A handful of families run this unusual business. Their knowledge is handed down from generation to generation. Two of them have agreed to open their doors to us, to take us behind the scenes of their curious business and take us on their tours. Originally from the Paris region, the Beautour family began performing in 1981. In the Hautes-Pyrénées, the three cousins of the Lafertin family take risks, even if it means putting their lives in danger.
Two families with different shows, but with one thing in common: ultra-spectacular, explosive shows, calibrated to the second and the centimetre. Yet despite their rigor and years of training, they can’t always avoid serious accidents….