What is it about film crews?
It’s certainly been a busy week. I have been running around far more than usual, as well as trying to keep up with all the routine work.
I had so inundated with work that I almost missed the fact that I was supposed to be meeting a film crew from New Zealand. I had intended to call Sergei, the tour operator who was responsible for organizing their trip, earlier in the week to finalize the details, but other things cropped up … but, as it happens, it didn’t matter because he was busy as well and wouldn’t have been able to talk the call and, anyway, the programme was fairly flexible and he didn’t really know the details until they arrived that morning.
To be fair, they weren’t really coming to Kyrgyzstan, but were just in transit. They were aiming to film a report on Tajikistan, and they needed to come to Kyrgyzstan in order to get their Tajik visas before heading South for the Tajik border where their trip would really start.
On the other hand, as they were here, and going to be here for a whole day, why waste the time. They decided to take the opportunity to explore and film a little. What is it with film crews that they are hyperactive and engrossed in their work? … this was after three days of flying from Auckland to Bishkek by a roundabout route because there is no direct flight, but they were still full of energy and “straining at the bit”, raring to go.
Anyway, this is where I came in …I had been asked to set up a meeting with one of the local NGO’s (Non-Government Organizations) and give some background information about life here in Bishkek.
I was a bit surprised that they didn’t seem to know anything about our recent “little local difficulty” … Fortunately, life here in Kyrgyzstan has settled down on the whole and, although things are still somewhat tense down south, here in Bishkek, all is calm and peaceful. In fact, it is pretty tame by comparison to the situation in Tajikistan where there has recently been a major prison break and an ambush of a military convoy. No-one seemed particularly concerned about this, however, and I couldn’t quite make up my mind if this was because:
- they were too intent with getting on with their work;
- they thought that they might be able to get some good footage if something did develop whilst they were in Tajikistan;
- they had utmost confidence that Sergei would be able to handle any “difficult” situation – and he IS that sort of person – or
- this is just typical of New Zealanders in general … we had one big group of Kiwis here early in the year, who were very sanguine and gave us the impression that nothing short of an “all out war” situation would have put them off coming to Kyrgyzstan.
The timing of their visit depended on all sorts of variables and they didn’t seem at all phased by little problems like the Tajik consul not being in the embassy when they called, or no-one answering the telephone when they called. “Hey, it’s all part of the story … “. I don’t think it would have mattered too much to them too much if they didn’t get their visas and had to extend their stay in Bishkek. Perhaps it would have added more interest to their report. Fortunately, however, the visas came through, after a lightening trip to the market which resulted in frantic shooting and, eventually we zoomed off to our meeting with the NGO.
Even that wasn’t exactly uneventful. A train held us up at the level crossing, and we had to negotiate our way past the scene of a road accident – fortunately not a serious one, but as the GAI, (the traffic police), had been called and were busy taking measurements, the result was that it was already getting dark as we drove up to the shelter run by the organization.
So, after quick introductions and explanations, it was straight into filming. I managed to keep out of camerashot, but it was interesting watching them work – and comparing them to the film crew that had been here just a week or so ago. Nothing was left to chance – continuity was checked, some bit were shot again … and again … just to make sure that we got it right, or so that the cameraman could film someone else nodding away in response to what was being said.
As the evening drew to a close, they were finally beginning to show signs of fatigue … so, no chance of a trip to a nightclub … and I had been looking forward to it.
Still, the one impression I have received from the two film crews that I have met in the last two weeks is that there is something about the work that makes them compulsive perfectionists and workaholics … I “take my hat off” to them. They are an example to us all!
Bishkek