A fact-based story centered on soldiers who escaped from a Siberian gulag in 1940. The film is based on a memoir by 'Slawomir Rawicz' depicting his escape from a Siberian gulag and subsequent 4000 mile walk to freedom in India. Incredibly popular, it sold over 500,000 copies and is credited with inspiring many explorers. However, in 2006 the BBC unearthed records (including some written by Rawicz himself) that showed he had been released by the USSR in 1942. However the escape was not entirely fictional. The book was based on the story of other polish soldier - Witold Glinski.
