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10% of all donations will go to the Phoenix Fund - a collective biodiversity recovery program helping to rehabilitate orphaned tiger cubs.
Kuzya is one of the Siberian tigers released by the Russian president Vladimir Putin in May. About three weeks ago, he decided to take a stroll on the Chinese side of the Amur river, and has since remained in that region.
The tiger is used as a vehicle for placing ourselves right in the middle of the geopolitical dynamics along the Sino-Russian border, and for exploring the unique human and geographical landscape of the Amur-Heilong region, which, partly due to the highly sensitive nature of border region in general, remains relatively unknown.
We have already established important local official contacts during our first trip to the Heilongjiang Province in China, which includes the local Forestry Department and the Border Police - who will assist us in the making of this film.
The trip has already been turned into a ten-minute film.
We are currently working on the contacts from the Russian side through our Chinese contacts and the World Wildlife Foundation.
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On reading the story « Tiger that Putin set free roams into China » in « Shanghai Daily» on the morning of Oct. the 10th, that very same evening we decided to jump onto a flight that took us from Shanghai to Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang Province where Kuzya was found to be; then continued up north until Siberian Russia came in our sight right across the Amur river…
The first part of film was shot within four days, from Oct. the 10th till the 14th, 2014. The entire journey covers a distance of 2,086 km (1,296 miles). We encountered and filmed several interesting characters along the way, which includes a local Forestry Department chief who is in charge of the search of Kuzya in North China. We’ve eventually edited the footage into a ten-minute film.
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We plan to go back shooting for another seven days -as soon as we can, possibly around mid-November. The shooting location will be in Heilongjiang Province, China and Khabarovsk Krai, Russia. However, both are subject to change, depending on the schedules of our contacts and the latest development of the search. We plan to follow the footsteps of the Chinese forestry department chief and his team during their patrols in the forest zone - this will be the main storyline. Meanwhile, we are eager to explore other characters, like the Chinese, Russian border police, the Russian wild animal expert (with whom the Chinese forestry department collaborated with in their search for Kuzya), the local villagers, and etc.
Eventually, we will turn this into a 30-minute long documentary, if not a feature-length one.
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The subject is by no means an easy one due to the highly sensitive nature of the region. We are confident to pursue it, as:
- our official contacts in Heilongjiang, China, will assist us in getting a special permit to enter and film in that region. The Forestry Department will also help to get us in touch with their counterparts in Russia.
- Thanks to her extensive fieldwork experiences in the strictly controlled Tibetan regions in China before, and in getting permits, Qing knows well how to navigate the system.
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XIAOQING HE (QING)
QING was born in Shanghai, China and has since lived in different cities in Asia and Europe. She speaks six languages - Mandarin, Shanghainese, French, Italian, English and Tibetan, and is learning Russian at the moment.
Graduated with a masters degree in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies from the University of Oxford, she went on working as a fixer and stills photographer with Éric Valli (an Oscar-nominated filmmaker, National Geographic photographer) on a documentary project about the Yangtze River in China and Tibet during six months (Feb-Aug 2014).
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PETER PECOTIĆ
PETER was born in Sydney, Australia to parents that both come from the Dalmatian part of Croatia, Former-Yugoslavia.…
He speaks some Mandarin, Thai, German, Croatian/ Serbian, and, of course, Australian.
Living in and running a business events production company in Shanghai for the past 10 years, he has always been fascinated in how messages and stories transcend cultures, and can bring people together.
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We are determined to make this film happen no matter what. We have not had the time yet to apply for other sources of funding, since we shot and edited the film only a couple of weeks ago. We were self-funded for the first part, and we did everything by ourselves (filming, editing) - not just to economise, we actually enjoyed it very much! However, we would like to be better equipped and to have a professional post-production team working with us this time - to produce better quality work. That’s why we need your support.
Your contribution will make a significant difference in the following ways:
- To create a community that cares about the fate of Kuzya, with whom we can share an ‘insider report’.
- To raise more awareness amongst all the relevant bodies (i.e. the World Wildlife Foundation, the local forestry department, Chinese, Russian border police, etc.) that we are already in touch with or will be collaborating with, so they might feel a stronger sense of responsibility towards finding it and protecting it against poaching for transboundary smuggling of tiger parts for traditional medicine.
- To help us afford better equipment and post-production cost; so that the filmmakers can at least afford rooms with heating when the temperature falls below minus 30 degrees In Siberia - we promise not to risk our lives.
4. Kuzya might feel that he is given enough attention that he eventually decides to show up!
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TOTAL: 20,750USD, based on a seven-day shoot
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We plan to wrap up by the end of this year, and then go into ten days of post -production over January 2015. We intend to enter film festivals when the film is done.
This film will form part of a series exploring the human and geographical landscapes along the borders of China (esp. the Central Asian and Himalayan countries), which we will announce later in another campaign.
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1. BUT WAIT… WHERE IS THE TIGER IN THIS FILM??
The only appearance of the tiger in our first part of film, as well as in the teaser, is from archive footage. At this stage we haven’t managed to find or film the actual tiger.
-‘But isn’t it a film about Kuzya - Putin’s tiger?’
-Yes and no.
YES: It is about the tiger, as we are indeed intrigued to find out the whereabouts and fate of Kuzya.
There was a little behind-the-scenes incident during our first shoot:
We were actually detained at one point at the border checkpoint in Luobei, Heilongjiang Province, because the Border Police were highly sensitive about foreigners moving around; and there were some illegal border-crossings that had recently happened… But later, the police and us - we befriended each other, and they even offered to drive us to a local “deluxe” hotel in their private jeep.
There, by sheer coincidence we encountered the director of Luobei Forestry Department - the guy in charge of searching for Putin’s tiger!
He wanted to take us on a mountain patrol the following morning but had to cancel due to the same issue as we had with the Border Police.
We would have needed to stay a few more days for him to get us a special permit for that, but unfortunately were not able to stay any longer at that time.
More on this story - go to ‘PERKS’ (preview of first part of the film)! :-)
For this next instalment, we have already inquired with the Border Police and the Forestry Department to make sure that we are given authorisation, clearance and access well in advance. And of course we’d like to get more footage of this cute tiger - we are just as curious as you!
NO: because the tiger is simply a vehicle for us to explore the human and geographical landscape of this frontier region; and the lives of people that are brought together because of him.
2. WHAT IS THE TIGER’S CURRENT WHEREABOUTS?
Kuzya seems to enjoy the other side of the Amur River very much that he will probably even spend the winter there … And our contacts in Heilongjiang Province have confirmed this unofficially by phone with us.
3. WHY DO YOU USE ‘HE’ FOR KUZYA?
Because Kuzya is a boy; and « Kuzya is the diminutive of Кузьма, a Russian Christian name ultimately going back to that of Saint Cosmas. » (Info kindly provided by a Russian friend of ours.)
(Below is the Chinese version of the pitch)
标语：一部讲述中俄边境百姓生活的珍贵电影——在这里，一只普京虎将两地人民紧紧牵系。
项目梗概
库贾是俄总统普京在五月放生的一只东北虎。大约三周前，库贾闲逛到了中国境内的阿穆尔河附近，从此便留在了那里。
追寻着老虎的脚步，我们将置身中俄边境多变的地缘政治格局之中；探索阿穆尔河地区独有的人文风情和地理地貌。边境地区多属政治高度敏感带，也因而长期鲜为人知。
第一次来到中国黑龙江省时，我们便同地方政府的官员建立起了联系，包括当地林业局和边防警察，他们将为电影的拍摄助一臂之力。
首次行程已浓缩成一部时长10分钟的短片。
眼下我们正通过中方关系和世界野生动物基金会同俄国各方接洽。
灵感来源
10月10日早晨，《上海日报》刊载了一篇名为《普京虎漫步越境入中国》的报道。当晚，我们便从上海火速动身搭飞机前往黑龙江省省会哈尔滨，那里正是库贾出没的地方。随后，我们一路北上，直至来到阿穆尔河畔，与俄罗斯西伯利亚仅隔河相望……
影片的第一部分耗时4天拍摄完成，从2014年10月10日到14日。拍摄行程全长2,086公里（1,296英里），我们还用镜头记录下沿途遇到的几位有意思的游人，还包括一位负责中国北方地区库贾搜寻工作的地方林业局主任。最后，所有的影像资料都浓缩成了一部10分钟长的短片。
下步计划
我们计划再次前往该地并开展为期7天的拍摄，时间大约会在11月中旬。尽管拍摄地将选在中国黑龙江省内和俄国哈巴罗斯夫地区，但根据联系人的时间安排和搜寻的最新进展，拍摄地可能随时更改。我们打算跟着中国林业部主任及其团队的脚步记录他们在林区的巡逻工作，这也将成为影片故事的主线。同时，我们还热衷于用镜头记录形形色色的人物，比如中国百姓、俄国边防警察、俄国野生动物专家（同中国林业部主任一同参与库贾的搜索）、当地村民等等。
最终，我们将把这些纪录制作成一部30分钟长的短片或一部正片长度的纪录片。
危险重重
该地域属高度敏感区域，要实现原定计划绝非易事，但我们仍信心满满，因为：
- 我们在中国黑龙江认识的官员将协助我们获得特殊许可，准许我们进入该地并进行拍摄。林业部也会帮我们同俄国林业部门取得联系。
- 何嘯卿
熟知如何带队前进，她曾在管控森严的中国藏区积累了大量的野外实地工作经验，对获取各类许可证驾轻就熟。
制片人
何嘯卿
何嘯卿出生與上海，曾在亚洲及欧洲多国居住生活过，她会说6门语言：中文、上海话、法语、意大利语、英语和藏语，现在正在学习俄语。
何嘯卿在牛津大学获得了西藏及喜马拉雅研究学硕士，随后她以剧照师和地方协调员的身份参与了艾瑞克·瓦力（国家地理杂志摄影师，曾获奥斯卡最佳制片人提名）的纪录片项目，耗时6个月（2014年2月至8月）对长江和西藏进行拍摄纪录。
彼得·佩科第奇
彼得在澳大利亚悉尼出生，父母双亲都来自前南斯拉夫克罗地亚的达尔马西亚地区……
他会说一点中文、泰语、德语、克罗地亚语/塞尔维亚语，当然还精通“澳大利亚语” （譯者注：開玩笑的說法，其實就是帶有澳洲口音的英語）。
过去十年来，彼得在上海居住并有自己的企业活动制作公司。让彼得最感兴趣的莫过于制片过程中那些人情世故，它们跨越文化与国度的界线，将不同国家的工作人员紧紧团结在一起。
您的帮助至关重要
无论如何都要制作完成这部影片，这是我们的决心。由于首部影片的拍摄和剪辑工作在几周前刚结束，因此我们还未能抽出时间申请经费资助。我们自己承担了首部影片制作的全部开销，拍摄和剪辑也都亲力亲为，这不仅是为了节约成本，更是出于我们对于制作过程的热爱。但是这一次，我们衷心期待能够拥有更精良的设备和一支更为专业的后期制作团队能加入我们，以提升制作质量。所以，您的一臂之
力对我们至关重要。
有了您的注资，我们能在以下方面做得更好：
- 为关注库贾的人士创建专属社区群，以便我们在群内分享“圈内报道”。
- 引起有关部门更多重视，包括世界野生动物基金会、地方林业局、中国百姓、俄国边防警察等等这些我们已接触过或即将与之合作的各个单位和个人；加强各方责任感，更快搜寻并保护好库贾，打击以中医入药为目的进行偷猎、跨境走私虎制品。
- 购买精良设备以及聘请后期制作团队，至少实现在制作人员的工作坊内安装暖气以抵御西伯利亚零下30度的严寒——我们保证绝不拿生命冒险。
预算明细（7天拍摄总额：20,750美元）
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影片何时完成制作？
拍摄工作预计于今年末收尾，为期10天的后期制作将在2015年1月完成。我们计划待电影制作完成后参加各类电影节。
这部影片将成为中国边境人民故事系列之一（主要集中在中亚及喜马拉雅一带），相关内容将在随后的另一个活动中予以公布。
Q & A
问与答
1. 影片中的老虎究竟在哪？
影片第一部分及预告片中出现的老虎画面来自资料影像。目前，普京虎仍下落不明，也未曾拍到过。
-“但这不是一部讲述普京虎库贾的电影吗？”
-要看如何理解了。
一方面，故事的主人公是库贾，而我们对他的行踪和命运也高度关注。
其实在首次拍摄时，还发生了些小插曲：
我们在黑龙江省萝北边检处被扣留，当时非法越境事件频发，因而边防警察对越境的外国人极为敏感……但事后，我们反而和警察熟络了起来，他们甚至开着私家吉普送我们前往当地的“豪华”酒店下榻。
在酒店，我们竟然巧遇了萝北林业部主任，也就是普京虎搜寻的负责人！
他本打算第二天带我们一起去山上巡逻，但同样由于边防警察的原因而不得不取消。
如果我们还能多待几天，主任就可以帮我们取得越境特殊许可。但很可惜，当时我们已经没有时间继续留下来了。
了解更多故事内容，前往“友情注资”（电影第一部预告片抢先看！）
而这次为了第二部影片的拍摄，我们已经在边防警察和林业部那里探明好了情况，以确保事先就获得许可准入。当然，我们也同您一样早已按捺不住激动的心情，翘首企盼着可以拍到更多老虎的风采。
另一方面：因为追寻着老虎的脚步，我们将置身边疆地区，近距离观察当地的人文风情和地理地貌；体验当地心系老虎的百姓生活。
2. 眼下老虎的具体位置在哪？
库贾似乎挺享受待在阿穆尔河对岸，他极有可能留下过冬……这一信息经由一位黑龙江联系人在电话里非正式确认过。
3. 为何用第三人称“他”称呼库贾？
库贾本身就是男孩的名字：“库贾是俄罗斯基督教名Кузьма的昵称，该名可追溯到圣科斯马斯。”（此信息由俄国朋友友情提供）
PERKS 友情注资
5美元
- 衷心感谢您的支持！
10美元
15美元
- 通过私人网页邀约获得首部影片的独家预告片
35美元
- 在电影节放映前通过专属网页通道抢看整部电影的预告
50美元
- 收获制作人手写附签名的明信片；邮戳来自黑龙江阿穆尔。
80美元
- 收获印有东北虎照片的T恤，照片来自本纪录片拍摄影像；如果我们仍无法拍摄到库贾，照片至少来自我们黑龙江联系人所拍画面（希望这不会发生！）
- 外加以上任何友情注资的回礼
100美元
- 直击现场:
我们将回赠您一段拍摄现场录制的视频，直击野外最为鬼斧神工的风景（我们不能保证能第一现场直击普京虎，但会尽最大努力！）。该视频将会上传至Vimeo或Youtube，您可在观看后直接分享。
-外加以上任何友情注资的回礼
150美元
- 在Skype上与制作人进行15分钟的见面会，畅所欲言，还能欣赏我们用俄语演唱《卡秋莎》
- 外加以上任何友情注资的回礼
200美元
- 您的名字将出现在鸣谢字幕中
- 外加以上任何友情注资的回礼
500美元
- 在上海与制片人在家中共进西伯利亚风味自制晚餐。
- 基于西伯利亚本地食谱所烹饪的菌菇口味极品野外料理，绝不含老虎制品，再配上来自遥远国度特兰西瓦尼亚的美酒佳酿（让我们的旅途足迹延伸到更远处）。
参考菜单
前菜
主食
- 中式水饺：韩式泡菜牛肉馅、韭菜鸡蛋馅、蘑菇馅、罗勒配菲达奶酪馅。
- 砂锅炖菜：各类本地干蘑菇烹制的“野味煲”
甜点
- Zapekanka 俄罗斯芝士蛋糕
- 中式红枣核桃馅年糕
