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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Little SNEEK PEAK @ The 15 day red epic shoot in UZBEKISTAN

Uzbeks are wonderful and very hospitable people. Unfortunately, when it comes to music videos in ex-Soviet influenced part of the world, nothing is that simple.
Googoosha is Gulnora Islomovna Karimova, the eldest daughter of the President of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov.
A US diplomatic cable leaked by Wikileaks describes her as "the single most hated person in the country" and reports that Uzbeks "see Karimova as a greedy, power-hungry individual who uses her father to crush business people or anyone else who stands in her way".
 
OT: Funny how that works.
Often when I hear of a shoot in such a place, including Dubai, with an import westerner behind the camera, I suspect the situation is the local Elites playing with the money they made walking on the backs of the poor. In Dubai having Red footage shot there by a westerner seems to be a quaint hobby of billionaires there.

jake blackstone said:
Uzbeks are wonderful and very hospitable people. Unfortunately, when it comes to music videos in ex-Soviet influenced part of the world, nothing is that simple.
Googoosha is Gulnora Islomovna Karimova, the eldest daughter of the President of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov.
A US diplomatic cable leaked by Wikileaks describes her as "the single most hated person in the country" and reports that Uzbeks "see Karimova as a greedy, power-hungry individual who uses her father to crush business people or anyone else who stands in her way".
Click to expand...
 
jake blackstone said:
Uzbeks are wonderful and very hospitable people. Unfortunately, when it comes to music videos in ex-Soviet influenced part of the world, nothing is that simple.
Googoosha is Gulnora Islomovna Karimova, the eldest daughter of the President of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov.
A US diplomatic cable leaked by Wikileaks describes her as "the single most hated person in the country" and reports that Uzbeks "see Karimova as a greedy, power-hungry individual who uses her father to crush business people or anyone else who stands in her way".
Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words regarding our creative endeavor there Mr Blackstone ;)
 
Les Dittert said:
OT: Funny how that works.
Often when I hear of a shoot in such a place, including Dubai, with an import westerner behind the camera, I suspect the situation is the local Elites playing with the money they made walking on the backs of the poor. In Dubai having Red footage shot there by a westerner seems to be a quaint hobby of billionaires there.
Click to expand...

Les, maybe this is true, on an extremely rare occasion,furthermore, that could happen anywhere in the world,
but there is a lot of legitimate work here for features, TVC and corporates and you are insulting a lot of people who work here and who's skill set would be thought of as a very high standard anywhere in the world, with your sweeping statement.
Have you ever worked here in Dubai ? You sound awfully bitter
 
RikiButland said:
Les, maybe this is true, on an extremely rare occasion,furthermore, that could happen anywhere in the world,
but there is a lot of legitimate work here for features, TVC and corporates and you are insulting a lot of people who work here and who's skill set would be thought of as a very high standard anywhere in the world, with your sweeping statement.
Have you ever worked here in Dubai ? You sound awfully bitter
Click to expand...

He sure dose know how to quote, the legitimate sorse for wiki leeks quotes... wikapidea ;)
 
Les Dittert said:
OT: Funny how that works.
Often when I hear of a shoot in such a place, including Dubai, with an import westerner behind the camera, I suspect the situation is the local Elites playing with the money they made walking on the backs of the poor. In Dubai having Red footage shot there by a westerner seems to be a quaint hobby of billionaires there.
Click to expand...

lol :tongue: if i were a sheik i'd buy you
 
Avi Cohen said:
He sure dose know how to quote, the legitimate sorse for wiki leeks quotes... wikapidea ;)
Click to expand...

Sorry Avi, do not understand what you are trying to say
 
Avi Cohen said:
I was referring to my new friend Jake's, last statement ;)
Click to expand...

Funny Avi. You sound very much like Hillary Swank, after she was exposed pocketing a cool $1m for the appearance celebrating the butcher , err "the president for life" of neighboring Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov. First, denial, next trying to explain away her naiveté, blaming her handlers and then, finally, giving the money to a charity. Will you do the same?:-)
Is your contention, that the information provided by US State Department incorrect and you know better?
So, let's try the Wikipedia then.
According to US diplomats in Uzbekistan, Karimova "bullied her way into gaining a slice of virtually every lucrative business" in the country and is viewed as a "robber baron". Gulnara Karimova lives much of the time in Geneva.
I guess, as long as you get paid and Googoosha gets to do her video, who cares about the little people of Uzbekistan, right?
 
I'm afraid we can't have this conversation without pointing out that

if you've shot any commercial work whatsoever, overworked underpaid laborers cut your paycheck;
if you think you work for "good, American companies," don't think about what their suppliers and subcontractors do in the dark;
if you've shot for a studio, your product and paycheck belong to the multi-nationals who make most of their money doing dirtier things in quiet corners of the world.

You might be able to dig up wikileaks cables on Ari's client, but corruption and exploitation are much more transparent in certain foreign countries than here at home. Googoosha is hated because she uses her public image to gain influence. American thieves know how to keep quiet. As grandma might say, "at least she's honest."

Sure, the elite in Dubai make their money off underpaid transient laborers. So do the American elite; we just keep most of our mules in other countries. Rich bastards are all pretty similar, some just shit close to home.

This is life today. Find a way to appease your conscience and let Ari be proud of his big boy crane shot.

full disclosure: I worked as a camera assistant on a bunch of retail jobs in order to afford my Scarlet. Sweatshop labor paid for those commercials and therefore paid my camera.
 
jake blackstone said:
Funny Avi. You sound very much like Hillary Swank, after she was exposed pocketing a cool $1m for the appearance celebrating the butcher , err "the president for life" of neighboring Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov. First, denial, next trying to explain away her naiveté, blaming her handlers and then, finally, giving the money to a charity. Will you do the same?:-)
Is your contention, that the information provided by US State Department incorrect and you know better?
So, let's try the Wikipedia then.
According to US diplomats in Uzbekistan, Karimova "bullied her way into gaining a slice of virtually every lucrative business" in the country and is viewed as a "robber baron". Gulnara Karimova lives much of the time in Geneva.
I guess, as long as you get paid and Googoosha gets to do her video, who cares about the little people of Uzbekistan, right?
Click to expand...


You got an Iphone Jake? how do you feel about the kids that made that... ;)

It's hard to say what the right answer is regarding a lot of things in life with many variables..., but one thing I can say on this one, is that the whole supplied crew of misfit russian, uzbek, korean, etc... jib operators through AD's were super incredible people, nothing I saw them do, or did myself felt out of integrity there. We were payed to go make art, not scrutinize or support any kind of behavior good or bad, when I left I felt like I had a new family I was gonna miss, and I think I can say for all of us that came from America and the UK to make it happen, that we'd do it over in a heart beat if it came before us again.

I appreciate your heart and advocacy for humanity Jakey Jake... Empathy and humility are fundamental building blocks to leading righteous life and making the world a better place. Practicing what you preach (the integrity block... one underneath both the two above) is also key...

That being said, no offense man, but I think that there are two many variables in this one to just start casting stones of hatred in my teams direction in general especially without at least asking a couple questions (probably privately ;) to keep in line with the old integrity block) first...

I hope you all can find it in your heart to take a look @ what we create in the end with kind, warm, loving empathetic eyes as we're all pretty incredible people with what I feel like is a heart full of the above mentions assets and all, read every last thing about Uzbekistan, its people and its alleged way of life, spent countless days on the phone with everyone there before we went, made all of our own righteous decisions and worked as hard as humanly possible on this one. We hope it shows. More to come soon.

-Avi Cohen
www.AviCohen.tv
 
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nice way to handle this. lots of people have fared worse when suddenly accused.

"worked as hard as humanly possible on this one."

kinda what it all comes down to there...
 
Avi Cohen said:
You got an Iphone Jake? how do you feel about the kids that made that... ;)

It's hard to say what the right answer is regarding a lot of things in life with many variables..., but one thing I can say on this one, is that the whole supplied crew of misfit russian, uzbek, korean, etc... jib operators through AD's were super incredible people, nothing I saw them do, or did myself felt out of integrity there. We were payed to go make art, not scrutinize or support any kind of behavior good or bad, when I left I felt like I had a new family I was gonna miss, and I think I can say for all of us that came from America and the UK to make it happen, that we'd do it over in a heart beat if it came before us again. Gulnra personally was a pretty incredible woman that has many non profit companies supporting the arts and film and has invited us back for what they call "master classes" in october @ a big free media and arts festival she holds for the former ussr and surrounding countries.

I appreciate your heart and advocacy for humanity Jakey Jake... Empathy and humility are fundamental building blocks to leading righteous life and making the world a better place. Practicing what you preach (the integrity block... one underneath both the two above) is also key...

That being said, no offense man, but I think that there are two many variables in this one to just start casting stones of hatred in my teams direction in general especially without at least asking a couple questions (probably privately ;) to keep in line with the old integrity block) first...

I hope you all can find it in your heart to take a look @ what we create in the end with kind, warm, loving empathetic eyes as we're all pretty incredible people with what I feel like is a heart full of the above mentions assets and all, read every last thing about Uzbekistan, its people and its alleged way of life, spent countless days on the phone with everyone there before we went, made all of our own righteous decisions and worked as hard as humanly possible on this one. We hope it shows. More to come soon.

-Avi Cohen
www.AviCohen.tv
Click to expand...
Jakey Jake? Nice one...
Yes, the world is pretty nasty place. Should I despise all Chinese people now because of your iPhone example? Of coarse not. If you read my original post, I had clearly said "Uzbeks are wonderful and very hospitable people". The same goes for Russians. At no time did I cast any dispersions on the crew or people of Uzbekistan. I was just pointing out the main despicable character- Gulnora Islomovna Karimova, that you continue to cast as a great humanitarian. What's next, a music video for Asma al-Assad, the wife of Syrian president?
 
We all have an obligation to ask what the bigger implications of our actions are, everyday. Sometimes its easy to do something and take it for face value. Not see the other side of things, either by choice or by naivete.

As Avi said, it was a fulfulling experience for him to do the music video. Is he wrong for not asking more questions up front? for not doing research about what the implications of his actions are? for what he is associating himself with?

It happens every day. It's the same way when we put gasoline in our cars, it's nice to have gas and it lets us live our lives but there are some seriously dark and troubling implications that are much easier to ignore.

It's not about Avi's decision, it's about a way of life now where people less and less choose to question their actions - and less and less make decisions that do not benefit them directly but instead humanity. I myself and guilty of it, although I wish it would change.

Jake- I applaud you for bringing up issues that need to be heard, but I also urge you to question yourself - and the implications of your past and present actions... they may not be as clear cut as this example of Googoosha, but perhaps just as troubling.
 
Yousuf Abbasi said:
Jake- I applaud you for bringing up issues that need to be heard, but I also urge you to question yourself - and the implications of your past and present actions... they may not be as clear cut as this example of Googoosha, but perhaps just as troubling.
Click to expand...

Aaa.. what?
 
Yousuf Abbasi said:
We all have an obligation to ask what the bigger implications of our actions are, everyday. Sometimes its easy to do something and take it for face value. Not see the other side of things, either by choice or by naivete.

As Avi said, it was a fulfulling experience for him to do the music video. Is he wrong for not asking more questions up front? for not doing research about what the implications of his actions are? for what he is associating himself with?

It happens every day. It's the same way when we put gasoline in our cars, it's nice to have gas and it lets us live our lives but there are some seriously dark and troubling implications that are much easier to ignore.

It's not about Avi's decision, it's about a way of life now where people less and less choose to question their actions - and less and less make decisions that do not benefit them directly but instead humanity. I myself and guilty of it, although I wish it would change.
Click to expand...
Instead of "fulfulling experience" promoting a dictator and his "family values", we need to be more vigilant in exposing Karimov's clan and their actions to the world.
A pariah to the international community who’s clung to power since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990, the dictator’s authoritarian regime has been widely condemned for its institutionalized usage of torture, murder, and kidnapping, as well as draconian censorship and religious persecution of the Uzbek populace. In one particularly gruesome display of Karimov’s iron-fisted rule, his security forces executed two prisoners by BOILING THEM ALIVE.

If that wouldn't give you a pause, if you should do any kind of work for Karimovs, then I don't know what will.
 
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