donttellmymother4_russia_033640_script

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Final NGCIscript Researcher: Mark Levenstein Date: 1/19/11 ONE CHANGE IN SCRIPT LIVE OPEN DIEGO: Well they say its the land of spies vodka and bitter winters--at least that’s how the stereotype goes, but since the cold war Russia has changed today its the biggest country in the world, spanning 9 time zones and things here are changing fast. In car: so when the Soviet empire collapsed in 1991, well capitalism ran wild in Russia and a few of the 140 million Russians suddenly went from poor to rich this is an incredible luxury car with 750 thouasand crystals encrusted in the car and it’s, it’s a really a spectacular view ok so get ready for a crazy ride across Russia. OPENING CREDITS

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today its the biggest country in the world, spanning 9 time zones and things here are changing fast. In car: so when the Soviet empire collapsed in 1991, well capitalism ran wild in Russia and a few of the 140 million Russians suddenly went from poor to rich this is an incredible luxury car with 750 thouasand crystals encrusted in the car and it’s, it’s a really a spectacular view ONE CHANGE IN SCRIPT OPENING CREDITS LIVE OPEN

TRANSCRIPT

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Final NGCIscript Researcher: Mark LevensteinDate: 1/19/11

ONE CHANGE IN SCRIPT

LIVE OPEN

DIEGO: Well they say its the land of spies vodka and bitter winters--at least that’s how the stereotype goes, but since the cold war Russia has changed

today its the biggest country in the world, spanning 9 time zones and things here are changing fast. In car: so when the Soviet empire collapsed in 1991, well capitalism ran wild in Russia and a few of the 140 million Russians suddenly went from poor to rich

this is an incredible luxury car with 750 thouasand crystals encrusted in the car and it’s, it’s a really a spectacular view

ok so get ready for a crazy ride across Russia.

OPENING CREDITS

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Jenny, I will have this to you tomorrow.

In Moscow the symbols of the past are a reminder of a complicated history. But today’s life in this modern metropolis bears little resembalance to the Soviet Capitol of 20 years ago. Gas shortages, bread lines and Communist party leaders have made way to traffic jams, shopping malls and the mega rich. In fact, this city has the world’s second largest number of billionaires and most of them made their money in the past 20 years.

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FROM RICHES TO RAGS

DIEGO O/C So I’ve abandoned my blinged out car from last night to come here and meet a guy that has created a unique agency in Moscow. An Agency that caters to the city’s richest people.

01 02 44 VO: Sergey is the founder of an event planning company that specilaizes in providing the unusual....to the elite.

DIEGO:How are the Russian rich different from the other rich on the planet ? What defines them?

01:03:21 SERGEI: Well what really defines them is that they have been rich for a short period of time. These people didn’t grow up in rich families where money was always part of their daily lives, You know, not so long ago these same people were taking the metro and watching football games on TV. And suddenly they are loaded, super rich. 20 years ago no one in Russia could have imagined that one day they would be skiing down the trendiest slopes of France. In the best tourist complexes around. And now if they want they can just buy the entire complex it’s not a problem. The rich Russians now want to live life to it’s fullest and they want to enjoy themselves.

VO: But when you can buy anything... it can be only the truly extreme experience that may do the trick

Sergei and his team go to great lengths to make this happen.

DIEGo O/C So Is this a way for them to keep on feeling alive, to keep on doing new experiences all the time

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01:03:49

01:04:07

01:04:17

Sergei: The Russian millionnaire really lives in an unusual environment. It’s very secluded and protected and now they are searching for new things to do , new experiences.

For example some business women come to see me and want to be strippers for a night or two. Srippers. In real strip clubs, and these are very wealthy women.

I even had some that wanted to be prostitutes for a night. Just for the thrill of it. A few years ago, such behavior or desires would have been unimaginable for Russian women. But now it’s a way of life.

VO:

A night of prostitution may fill the void for some, but for others hitting rock bottom is the only way to feel alive...

AS sergey is about to show me, his clients are willing to pay 3000 USD for the pleasure of a rough day on the streets of Moscow.

01:04:39 SERGEI: Here. This is your tuxedo. This is the outfit for one of our most popular games... for the rich

Diego: This needs to be cleaned

01:04:50 Sergei: No, on the contrary we need to make it dirtier.

Diego: So I have to change into this

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01:04:55 SERGEI: First you change and then we will work on your face.

VO:

His wealthy clients are given a total make under... to show the wear and tear of living hard.

They are dropped into the streets of Moscow with no money, no ID, and only a mobile phone to be used for emergenices...

DIEGO O/C: So basically after this we can go out on the street obviously and the game basically is to see who will earn the most money panhandling bewteen me and sergei, so we will have to see who wins the game

01:05:40

outside by car

01:05:46

SERGEI: Now we need to give our disguises their final touch. You know, make sure it looks authentic.

Here is my car. Now just rub yourself like this to catch all the dirt. Don’t do it where I did, get your own filfth.

DIEGO: Gets some dirt on your shoes. Expensive shoes?

01:06:14 now we are ready...yeah?

01:06:46 (Diego)

your first catch? Good. Good. Oh I have to win some money

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01:06:53 VO: For Sergei’s clients this may be a game of pretend, but homelessness in Moscow is a very real problem. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the gap between the rich and poor has grown exponentially.

He just got 100 rubels.

And today in Moscow, some 10,000 people live on the streets and at least 200 freeze to death every year in the brutal winter.

01:07:17 DIEGO: It’s a very strange sensation and very uncomfortable I must say

How much do we have ?

DIEGO: So do you feel, your clients who are millionaires, Do they feel bad to take money from people who don’t have a lot.

01:07:41

01:07:51

01 :08 :09

SERGEI: Well you know when my rich clients receive money when they beg for it, you know, from people that are much, much less weathy than they are In their millionnaire brains they feel that something is wrong, because they would never be this generous. most of them say that they believed people would have been much stingier and that in the end normal people are good people.And you know it’s important for these millionnaires to think about things like that. It’s good for them.

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DIEGO: Well I think I am not rich enough, I’m not enough of a millionaire to really understand and appreciate this game here in Moscow. But thank you for showing me. Ok now we have to go take off the makeup.

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INFLATABLE ARTILLARY

VA

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NOTE(THE TRACK SAYS CAN BUT SHOULD SAY CAN’T01:08:45

01:08:52

01:09:02

01:09:12

01:09:23

VO:

Moscow’s new money may be hidden behind exclusive doors, but one thing that’s always been on display is the russian military.

Parades of military hardware were proof of Soviet power.

But with the end of the cold war—having the best in military weaponry was no longer a top priority.

In fact, the once mighty force is now looking a little rusty.

But things are changing. A massive rearmament program is now underway... the aim is to re-equip the armed forces with the newest in weaponry and technology.

And at this factory they are making some of the most inventive products on the market-- INFLATABLE WEAPONS.

VIKTOR is a director at Rusbal, a company contracted by the government to literally help BLOW UP the military.

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Diego: SO I don’t understand Imean I thought this was like a weapons plant. I only see people sewing, where are the guns.

01:09:38 Alexis Yes this is a sewing shop. Here we make balloons, toys for children and advertizing. At the same time, we're building tanks for the Russian ministry of defense.

01:09:52 A: See onthis table for instance, they are working on a merry-go-round for children and for a tank at the same time.

Diego: This here is a tank

01:10:00 A: Yes.01:10:04 A: It's the wheel of the tank.

Diego: The wheel of a tank. its hard to imagine that this thing is a tank

01:10:12 A: Yes! It's a tank, and it's almost finished.

Diego: OK so I have to see what it really looks like...lets go.

01:10:18

VO: Rusbal’s weapons may be filled with air, but they are definitely not for children.

01:10:24 A: Yes, it's a T80 tank.01:10:28 VO: The inflatables will be used as

decoys to mislead their enemies.

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Diego: I never transported a tank this easily in my life.

VO: In fact, there’s already an order in. The details are top secret.

Diego: this is quite unique for the military being able to transport a tank so fast.Diego: how much does this way.

01:10:43 A: Yes.

Diego

01:10:46 A: 90 kilograms

Diego: So two soldiers can take it and move it around fast.

01:10:54 VO: the ease of transport is pm;y matched by how quickly the weapons can be deployed.

Diego: It’s a little bit like camping...

01:11:03 A: A bit,yes 01:11:05 VO: It only takes 3 minutes to blow

up a full size tank.

Diego: Man if I had this as a child I would have loved it.

01:11:15 VO: At about 6000 dollars a pop...These balloons are a bit too expensive to be toys... but they are a hundred times cheaper than the real thing.

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DIEGo O/C: Its really amazing.. but here we are really close so it looks fake, so what’s the distance so it looks real.

01:11:26 A: I think that from 300m meters you can't tell it's a fake.Diego: The army buys this to make believe they have a bigger force and that the force is elsewhere.

01:11:41 A: We use them to mislead enemies. We make them think the force is deployed in one place, ready for defense, when in fact our people are on their way to another position.

01:11:55 VO: Rusbal’s line of make believe machines now includes tanks, jets and even this S-300 rocket launcher.

Diego: But now today you have military drones with thermal chemical detection and so on a so forth

01:12:09 A: Well, actually, it’s a system. It will show up on radars as real, whether it's through a metal or thermal detector, because it's heated where the engine and gas tank are supposed to be. And also because the fabric is treated in a way that fools infrared or night vision detectors into thinking it is metal. It’s a very sophisticated, multilayered process and it works. Diego: It’s like superman you know.

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??????: A

DiegoYou are the first military contractor that doesnt have any deaths on your conscience.

01:12:47 A: Absolutely right!

Diego: So the only real problem with this new weapons defense system is that it only works for conventional war. Like if tomorrow America might be invading Russia. Now the real threat that this country faces like many threats today is a terrorist one...

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MILITARY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

Diego: So I’m here in a unique school in all of Russia, its a school where they teach only young ladies, young ladies like these to not only become proper women, but also to fight terrorism

01: 13:52

01:14:06

01:14:10

01:14:22

VO: Welcome to Moscow Girl’s Cadet school number nine. An elite miliary boarding academy where 300 girls starting at age 11 are not only taught to read and write but also to shoot to kill

This academy was founded in 2005 a year after the Beslan school seige- a terrorist attack that took the lives of 334 people, mostly children.

today, Alexei, a former major in the army, his new mission teaching these girls how to shoot to kill.

01:14:30 ALEXEI: So the important thing is to make sure the barrel is aligned with it. then you just need to snap in the clip. It feel exactly the same as a real gun.

01:14:45 Alexei: Look this is a Kalashnikov. It’s our best weapon, and of course the girls train with this also.

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D: Makarov is easy. This looks complicated.

A: It’s easy to take apart too. First, you unlock the firing pin. Then, pull out the deadbolt. And it’s done. Applause!

DIEGO: Is this also part of the training because after the Beslan massacre so many kids were killed? Is this a way to defend them?

01:15:14

01:15:28

01:15:40

Alexei: Of couse, the memory of the Beslan masacre it’s still very much alive. all the girls here know how important it was. And everyone remembers how many children died there too. This is why our training is so important. Unfortunately terrorism is part of our lives and we should always remember that, VO: Recently Russia has suffered numerous attacks perpetrated by Chechen separatists--and in many cases the terrorists were women.

we don’t want to go to war or to make these girls murderers, we are simply training them like soldiers ;

01:15:50 ALEXEI: Ok everyone target practice,

Diego: SO Russia against France

01:15:57 Ok cadets you are competing against France now so make your Moscow school proud. OK clap everyone.

01:16:09 ALEXEI: So in this exercise you have to kill a terrorist that is holding a hostage. The terrorist is the balck target, the hostage the green one. make sure you don’t shoot on the hostage now. It’s very important.

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Diego: So when you shoot at the terroritst like that how do you feel?

01:16:45 GIRL 1 : It’s strange but I like it

If one day you had to do it for real would you think you would actually be able to fire?

01:16:52 GIRL 1 : well if I am well trained by Alexi, I think I can.

What’s the best part of this class? What do you like the most about it?

01:17:03 GIRL 2 : I like weapons training the most. when we shoot too I think that in the future it will come in handy in the future in terms of my safety.

01:17:16

VO

Self-defense, advanced first aid, surveillance, and even explosives training are all part of the weekly schedule. The girls do have some fun,

break for laughter...

BUT the lessons they learn are no laughing matter.

DIEGO: This looks like a game, but this is very serious

01:17:35 Alexi : You are right it feel like a game, but in the end we are taining them to survive in today’s world .

01:17:42 We don’t tell them that nothing will ever happen to them, on the contrary we tell them that they are trained to fight terrorism because they could bump into a terrorist anywhere, amy time.

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01:18:00

01:18:16

VO: Cadet school number nine is not for everyone. There is a rigorous screening process--

And once they are in, they must excel in all areas, math, science, languages, even singing and dancing.

the overall aim of the program is to cultivate the future leaders of the Motherland.

And to do this the school enforces a strict set of rules-- no makeup, no cellphones, and obedience at all times.

Marching and head turningSalute

01:18:32VO: This new school and others like it, reflect the resurgence of Russian national pride and patriotism, characteristic of the Putin era Russia.

01:18:44 GIRLS: Comrade, we are students that have come to receive our solemn oath.Now turn back and bring your hands back down.

01:19:03 Diego: DO they train harder than the guys do?

01:19:05 It may seem strange but they do. All my life I worked with adult men. But these girls understand and learn much faster.

01:19:16 Left left : smile for the camera.

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JESUS OF SIBERIA

VA

over stressful moscow sequence...

01:19:35

VO:

In Moscow today the struggle to survive has given way to the need to succeed. But for some the stresses of modern city life are overwhelming. And the focus on materialism unsatisfying. And so they search for solace in the depths of Siberia

01:20:18 Diego: Well I just want to take a few seconds to share with you what it is to travel throughout Siberia. I mean, it is endless, endless roads. Thank God I have Sergei and his van. which is really like a first class van,

01:20:

how many times around the world is that?

Diego: 12 times around the world.

01:20:36 VO: Sergei, an expert on these never ending roads is taking me to a very special place... a place where he tells me I may even be able to meet believed to be the son of GOD... Jesus of SiberiaThis is sergei`s village-at its heart village is a very unique church--and almost everyone who lives here belongs to the fold.

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0121:00

DIEGO SAYS HELLO

01:21:10 VO: This chapel belongs to the Church of the Last Testament. A christian sect with a very unusual message.

DIEGO: So whats quite amazing here is that in most churches around the world. you come to pray for jesus christ who has been dead for 2000 years and the big difference here actually is that people come here to pray to a Christ that is alive. And so I think we are going to be meeting him, but I think it actually takes a couple days to get to him.

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01:22:23 VO: My diver Sergei has been a member of this church for five years now. Diego: when you walk into this church here. what do you feel inside?S: Well, here in this environment, you can feel that another world exists, a more copmlete, happier world. When you come out of here, you look at people differently. You come out with a much more complete relationship with people and with nature. Your whole attitude is changed. You feel a brand new energy. It is a cleansing of the soul. This is THEIR MESSIAH, he is known as Vissarion.

Diego: Ok so this church is part of the first village, now Vissarion or the one who brings life as they call Jesus here lives on top of the mountain. SO we’re going to leave this village now to go to the second village, which is called the abode of Dawn. Before we actually meet Jesus

01:22:49 VO: As on most days, a group of religious pilgrims is waiting for a lift to meet THE MAN up in the mountains.

Diego: Oh Sergei..this is solid Siberian turck...is this good?

01:23:05 S: You'll soon discover we can't reach the place we're going to any other way; we need that kind of truck. Right now the weather is fine, but when you've got snow up to here... then you need a powerful vehicle—one you can depend upon... yeah, this one's good.

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01:23: VO: This rough road is what connects Vissarion to the faithful. Some 5000 people have left their homes and families to devote their lives solely to him. They live in about 40 different villages in the area. But we are now on our way to the most coveted address- the hamlet below Vissarion’s own house.

Diego; So Sergei what do you have to do in order to live in the top village?

01:23:55 S: I'm nowhere near that stage yet. The people who live there dedicate their lives to others, to you, to him, to anyone that needs it. If you all of which compose the Whole, which our Leader preaches. Some people want to live for them selves, and when they find them selves up there, they just don't fit in. If you have a profound desire to dedicate your life to others, then you’ll be happy up there.

over singing01 24 11

VO: Along the way we pick up even more pilgrims...some are veterans of the journey, for others its their very first time. Today the church of the last testament counts more than 10,000 followers worldwide.

Diego: So actually most people in this truck from around Russia. They don’t all live in villages around their leader and they have traveled thousands and thousands of miles to ask one question to Jesus and get the answer hopefully.

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01 24 55 VO: Sergei’s truck takes us as far as it can go

AND SO now we have to hoof the last 7 kilometers.

Diego: did you make it? the bread.

Diego: So sergei what does it mean, the symbol of your religion here?

01 25 23 S: There are four main religions: Buddhism, Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Our Jesus has come back to Earth to bring these four religions into one family, one God, one people. That is what this symbol represents.

01 25 55VO: Welcome to the Abode of Dawn, home to about 250 of the most devoted. People here live life by Vissarion’s strict set of rules-- everyone is a vegan, drinking and smoking are banned, even the exchange of money is prohibited. Life here is self sustaining and simple.

01 26 35 Diego: So after the fall of the soviet empire basically hundreds of religious cults appeared in Russia, but this is one of the only ones that seems to not only have survived but also thrived over the years and today the church of the last testament is one of the biggest in RUSSIA

01 26 58 VO: the lifestyle here can be hard, but the followers believe that this hardship is the path to salvation.

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01 27 18 VO: After 2 days on the road, I finally lay eyes on Jesus--sorry Vissarion. Here, for the believer, his word is the word of god.

Diego: So this is what happens every sunday the faithful gather here and they ask their questions to their teacher. to jesus and he basically gives them the right answers on how to live and how to behave.

01 27 45 Woman: If a believer comes across an 11 year old boy with a plastic machine gun, should he tell the boy this is not the way for a believer to behave?

JESUS ANSWERS No. You shouldn’t confront him directly, you shouldn’t take the toy away from him. It’s natural for young boys to have toys like this. and for the child to change, the world has to change first.

DIEGO: what you should know about him is that before he used to be a traffic cop, he was actually a policeman here in siberia, and after the fall, after the collapse of the soviet union, faith struck him I guess to become his own spiritual leader

01 28 28 VO: today his leadership is so powerful...his followers have even replaced Christmas with a celebration marking his birthday.

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Diego: So I’m about to go and meet jesus, but just a little thing I want to let you know is about the orthodox church of Russia considers this church, the church of the last testament as a heresy, as a sect, but local authorities kind of like it because in siberia where most villages are emptying themselves and alcoholism and violence are destroying these towns. this is one of the only places where people are thriving. This is where he lives.

Diego: You obviously have a very Christ-like physique, the hair, the beard, the way you dress. Is it a way to show people an image that they have already seen?

01 29 29 33 JESUS: No, I don't mean to convey any message by the way I look. I remain what I have always been.

Diego: Would all this, would this dream have been possible during the soviet era?

01 29 51 JESUS: No... People were ready to believe then, but the soviet ideology didn't allow for it as the current times do. Now we are able to give the people what they've needed to hear for a long time. before it was impossible... We simply had to wait for a time when it was possible to preach. Now, at last, that time has come.

Diego: what is vissarion today. is it a new message for Russia or is it something bigger than that.

01 30 24

01 30 44

JESUS: On earth there is the flora, the fauna and then mankind. We don't say flora, fauna and then the French, etc... we speak of Mankind, it is one. The world needs to discover this truth and pass it on to all who are ready to hear it. Thanks to what I preach, everyone can come together and understand that we are all a part of a Great Oneness. I will show them how to achieve this, I will tell the truth; I will tell them why mankind truly is, why man was created, and what the meaning of creation is.

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Diego: thank you for taking the time and speaking to me.

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SMOKE JUMPERS

Diego: ok so in my life i have flown in some old ass planes, but i must say this one beats every record i have. i mean I’ve never seen a flight stick like this,/ this was built in the 50s, but i must say whats soviet built seems to be built to last

Diego: So I’m here with an elite unit, a unit that was created by the soviets in the 1930s and actually this unit is in charge of protecting Russia from one of its most dangerous threats which are forest fires. So these guys are a little bit like the kamikazies of the fire fighters. these guys will now jump at low altitude over forest fires in Siberia. I can tell you it requires a lot of courage.Russia actually had the first smoke jumping unit in the world-and today with 4000 men, it it still the biggest...

Diego: so how does it work, what is this for?

01 32 50 Man: The helmets have a special sheild to protect the eyes, and their suit is padded so branches don't wound them on the way down. As you can see, this material is pretty thick. You can see it’s really heavy duty stuff.

Diego: so how do you feel before every jump?

01 33 10

01 33 17

its ok...DIEGO: BUT THE FIRST TIME?Man: Oh, you always remember the first jump. It is different from the rest; of course you're nervous, but it's ok.

Diego: So right now we are supposed to be about, I don’t know maybe under a thousand meters up in the air, but these guys jump at very low altitude to avoid being pushed away from the burning zone, obviously they have to land in very tight spaces in order not to be burnt to death.

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01 33 45 NOTE TO PRODUCER CHANGE BELOW

VO: this is dangerous. Timing is everythingSince the 80s over 400 40 smokejumpers have died on the job.

Diego so now we are getting ready to send of this equipment, because these guys actually have to put fires out without water which is quite a challenge.

01 34 17

01 34 30

VO: Every year these men must fight fires across 2 billion acres of forest. Today’s blaze is not the real deal. They’ve lit this fire to use as a training excercise.

Diego: So what does this technique, what do you use it for?

01 34 43 Man: First we have to dig a trench. We have to stop the fire from going any further. Then when we’ve got the fire line done, we walk along the trench, and we keep an eye on the progression of the fire—which way it’s going, how fast it’s moving.

01 35 02 VO: For a small team of smokejumpers, USUALLY the first on the scene, this ditch-called a fire line is the best chance at containing the flames...

01 35 12MAN: Without our teams, small pockets of fire would rapidly grow into massive fires. Small teams help prevent bigger fires.

Diego: but how are you paid, are you paid by the day? How does that system work

01 35 23 MAN: If we stop the fire on the first day, we get a bonus. If it lasts for several days, the bonus decreases.

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Diego: but i mean this for example, this looks like a squirt gun. I mean,

01 35 38 Man: We use it to put out the first flames we find in front of us. It doesn't look like much, it’s true, but it's very, very efficient.

Diego: so i mean when you jump, I thought you didn’t have any water, but where do you get the water when you get down here.

01 35 58 Man: We chose our landing point depending on where we can find a watering hole, or a stream or other source of water

DIEGO: Hey we could make a good barbeque here...

Diego: So after the fires, the tradition wants, requires that everyone has a tea. obviously its Russia and its civilized and were all have our little teas now.

Diego: So were you ever, you know, is just a training exercise, soi t’s okay but we you ever caught in the flames in the forest?

01 36 45 Man: Well, it can happen. I've been working here for fifteen years, and it's happened three times. I was surrounded by the fire, stuck tiny safe zone. It’s not pleasant

01 37 02 Man2: The main thing is not to panic; if you do, the fire will eat you up alive, or you'll suffocate. You need to anticipate: you dig a ditch, lie down in it, and that way you can breathe.

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01 37 23

01 37 40

DIEGO: Now what I wanted to ask you is how long do you stay in the forest sometimes when the fires are burning and so on and so forth

Man: The longest was for a month, because we had to wait for the helicopter. The fire was out, but we had to wait for it It took forever.Diego: So you have to know all the survival skills to be in the forest?Man: Of course you need to know how to hunt and fish. That’s what keeps you alive.

THROAT SINGING

01 38 51

DIEGO: So we’re almost at the end of our journey here in Russia—so I’ve decided to go all the way south to this region actually i have gone so far south that there are no roads anymore..only trails and we had to come here with horses.. and Chadara who was nice enough to accompany and she wants to take me to one of her friend’s yurts here, which is a tent in this region which is right by Mongolia.

VO: Chadara is known in this region as one of the best throat singers, a traditional form of singing in the steppes, But she’s also on the forefront of a modern musical movement that she’s hoping will make waves around the world.

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Diego: did the soviets, did they try to kill your culture in a way?

CHADARA: all minorities not only us the tuvans were submitted to soviet propaganda and when we tried to do our traditional throat singing, we were punished and were obligated to play the Russian guitar. Can you imagine stepping onto the stage and doing throat signing while playing the balalaika at the same time? It was horrible.

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VO: after 3 hours of horseback riding, we finally arrive at her friends yurt. And hospitality, here in the steppes is taken very seriously...

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DIEGO: throat singing before was reserved for men only, no?

WOMAN: women were forbidden to throat sing because it was believed it would prevent us from having babiesnot just in Tuva, but also in Mongolia and the Altai, basically everywhere where throat singing existed.

but the fact is that there were always women who throat sang in secret. It’s a gift from the gods in which nature gives you the energy to express your vision of the world. It’s a beautiful thing and I love it.

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DIEGO: So obviously throat singing, yurts in the middle of mongolian looking steppes i mean that’s almost a cliche now, but the reason i’m here is not for this it’s for what these people are doing to their traditional music, they’re taking it to some surprising places, as you’re about to see.

VO: Welcome to Kyzyl, the capital of Tuva and supposedly the geographical center of Asia.

DIEGO: so it’s Saturday night in Kyzyl and Chadara has left her yurt to take me to this place, this is the biggest club in the city it’s called the KHAN club. and so this is where Chadara meets her friends musicians and they are here to, well, boost the sound.

VO: Chadara’s friend, Otgun, is a master throat singer and is leading the charge for musical change.

Diego: are you guys trying to get your music out of the ghetto of ethnic music in a way?

Chadara: I definitely think you have to mix traditional music with your throat singing or folk instruments and mix it up with all differen’t kinds of music, it’s what today’s global culture dictatesDiego: are you trying to change things with this traditional music or what?

OtgunOtgun: Why talk about as changing traditional music, in my opinion? In my opinion, music has no boundaries. only idiots want to limit music to one genre, one place. No one has the right to do that. And in the end it’s the public that decides what’s good and what isn’t. They’re the final judge VO: AND IT SEEMS LIKE OTGUN IS ON TO SOMETHING

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DIEGO: I hope you enjoyed. Okay, see you next time. Somewhere else on the planet.