Filming for German TV

We have just completed filming two stories about the Russian soldiers and officers who returned from Germany in 1992-1994 with the rest of the Russian army at the end of the cold war. Some of them were given the apartments in Kubinka, in the town built with German money from June 1993 until August 1995. We met and interviewed some very interesting and very welcoming contributors who told us their memories of their time in Germany. They spoke with great fondness of the cities they were stationed and how they mixed with the local German population.

Kubinka is famous for being the best Russian pilot academy and is home to biggest tank museum in Russia, as well as being a lovely place to live surrounded by forests and close to the Moscow river. About an hours drive from Moscow we spent 3 very long but very enjoyable days filming there. All the contributors spoke about the town being a very quiet and an almost perfect place to raise a family.

We filmed the stories on a Canon C300. They will air on the German TV in August 2014.

Dance Walking Moscow

Production of our new film started in the park opposite Nikulin Circus on Tsvetnoy boulevard where we followed the flashmob style group dance walk all the way to Ekaterininskiy park. It is an amazing sight for onlookers as this large group of people dance through parks, across roads and down busy streets in almost total silence as they all listen to the same playlist through headphones.

We captured the joy felt by the dancers who express themselves in these public places. A Rossia 1 news crew were also there to get some footage and we over heard them ask one dancer “Why dance here, why not in a disco?” The answer to that is very clear to all, this is a much more personal way of creative expression which is not possible in a night club. It is also open to all and was great to see whole families there with many children joining in as well as women with babies in slings dancing.

This film was originally focused around this one dance event where word spreads via social networks, but having now had the chance to spend time with Alexander Girshon, we are looking to develop this film into something bigger. With additional interviews and another event, as well as finding out more about the people involved. A truly organic film and very much a co operation of different creative individuals.