In 1941, amidst the turmoil of World War II, a group of prisoners in a Siberian gulag plots a daring escape. The eclectic group, including a Polish officer, an American architect, a hardened Russian criminal, and others, is led by a determined young man named Janusz. He is imprisoned due to false charges of espionage allegedly confessed by his wife under torture. With each possessing a deep desire for freedom and driven by the stories of brutal Siberian winters, they know that they must break out before they are unable to endure the harsh conditions any longer. The plan is meticulously crafted, and in a moment ripe with tension, they seize their opportunity, managing to evade their captors.

Once out in the seemingly endless wilderness, the escaped prisoners must deal with an array of life-threatening challenges. Their trek becomes a survival ordeal; they must navigate through treacherous weather, starvation, and trust issues within the group, as well as evade Soviet forces who are likely in pursuit. Bound for India, thousands of miles away, they journey over the unforgiving Siberian tundra, the vast Mongolian desert, and the Himalayan mountains. Each leg of their journey tests their willpower and the limits of their strength and endurance. Along the way, they encounter kindness in unexpected places and experience the bittersweet nature of newfound freedoms paired with the haunting traumas of their pasts.