Georgia

[Dan XF]

I have just returned from a 10 day film shoot in the Country of Georgia as the unit medic. I was blown away by the people and the country. The thing I loved the most was the real connection these people had with nature and the seasons. A lot of people still spend the summer months up in the high Caucasus mountains with their livestock. Roads are little more than gravel tracks and the people rely on the seeds they planted at the end of last summer and the animals they take with them to feed them over the summer months. Food is very seasonal and if meat is required for a meal it's taken from their own herd and nothing is wasted. The guest houses we stayed in during our mini expedition were run by family groups and similar rules seemed to apply. The food would come from what was out in the garden. All meats were free range and all vegetables were organic. One of our drivers was ex Georgian Special Forces and every time we stopped to film something he would be looking around for foraging opportunities. He would come back with armfuls of pomegranates, fresh wallnuts, fresh hazel nuts, pears, apples and on more than one occasion fresh wild raspberries that grow up to about 10,000ft on the south facing slopes. The soil was so fertile that no chemicals are used to help with crops and the locals joke that if you throw an apple core out of the window in the evening you'll have an apple tree there by the next morning. It was such a pleasure to meet these people who have grown up in a real natural environment and are so connected to nature. Incidentally I showed the ex Special Forces guy how to use slate clay to remove the black stains from his hands from the wall nuts. He thought it was a great trick and then the crew went on to tell me a few tales about Bear Grylls and how they had to look after him when he shot man v wild there in 2010.

[JonnyP]

Sounds like an amazing place. I bet there are not many lazy benefit scroungers living there.
What were you filming, and for who, if you don't mind me asking..?

[Silverback]

Now there's a job I could do

[Dan XF]

It was for World's Most Dangerous Roads on BBC2. Not allowed to discuss the talent though due to the contract but they were really friendly and funny and helped unload the cars each day like a pair of Sherpas. On a shoot in Bolivia the 2 stars were so moved by the Volunteer Mountain Rescue Team having to buy their own kit with no public or charitable funding that the both of them phoned their agents and asked for £5 grand from their fees to go direct to the team instead. But it isn't mentioned in the show. Shame really, we have some nice people working in TV in this country but their generosity is not news worthy.

[Dan XF]

Sapper, look up medipro and get on an offshore medic course. then get out on the circuit.

[JonnyP]

It was for World's Most Dangerous Roads on BBC2. Not allowed to discuss the talent though due to the contract but they were really friendly and funny and helped unload the cars each day like a pair of Sherpas. On a shoot in Bolivia the 2 stars were so moved by the Volunteer Mountain Rescue Team having to buy their own kit with no public or charitable funding that the both of them phoned their agents and asked for £5 grand from their fees to go direct to the team instead. But it isn't mentioned in the show. Shame really, we have some nice people working in TV in this country but their generosity is not news worthy.

I shall look out for those progs and the presenters you mention without mentioning. Its a shame the BBC don't mention the donations. They do in the Worlds worst place to be a ferryman etc progs.
I have been watching all of the ones so far on iplayer. Were you involved with the Siberia one..? Having to keep the cars engines going all night to stop the diesel from freezing.. Brrrrrrrr

[Silverback]

On a shoot in Bolivia the 2 stars were so moved by the Volunteer Mountain Rescue Team having to buy their own kit with no public or charitable funding that the both of them phoned their agents and asked for £5 grand from their fees to go direct to the team instead. But it isn't mentioned in the show.

A very nice and generous thing to do. The team I'm a member of will be filming for a long running soap this week not only does it raise the teams profile it will raise vital funds to keep us going. Even with public donations and legacies we still have to buy a lot of our own kit

[Dan XF]

No I wasn't on the Siberia one sadly, but the sound recordist for this one was. They were in tents at -53. I asked what it was like and he said there's no difference between -30 and -50 except you die faster!