Monday, December 11, 2006

Survivor 14 at Vunivutu and a military coup in Suva

from W
People are glued to TVs watching 'reality' TV programs such as Survivor, but at Vunivutu this past week, actors and participants have been glued to TVs watching 'faction' or 'fiction' of a military coup happening mainly in Suva - distant from Vanua Levu.

from realityblurred website:

Blurred reality and a coup
“Minimal” effect on Survivor production
recent stories about Survivor Fiji

Yesterday’s military coup in Fiji hasn’t significantly impacted production of Survivor Fiji.

E! reports that the show “is being filmed on Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second-largest island and a 30-minute flight away from Viti Levu,” where “soldiers bloodlessly took control of police headquarters … claiming that the Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase’s government is corrupt. … The U.S. State Department then temporarily suspended aid to the country after condemning the military’s actions.”

Jeff Probst sent an e.mail message to Entertainment Weekly and said all was well with the show:

“To be shooting Survivor while the host country is in the midst of a coup is a bit surreal for all of us here in Fiji. We have set up our satellite TV in the catering area [for producers and crew members only] and during dinner the entire crew watches the local news to get updates on what is happening. … Fortunately, we are on another island that is a 30-minute flight away from the capital city of Suva where the coup is centered. Everyone here is safe and the disruptions thus far have been minimal. We had a few production staff stationed in Suva that we brought back to base camp, and during the past week any crew members that were scheduled to fly to location were unable to due to flight cancellations. Otherwise, we have continued filming without interruption.”

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Sounds surreal to me, but I am so so disappointed and angry about what is happening in Suva that I can't really post my own comments. However there's a good article by Sanjay Ramesh.

Also, from Fiji Times – Your Say - Colin Deoki writes from Melbourne.
Someone greater than us said, "My people perish for lack of a vision." If you choose vision, you will slowly break the back of those create "di-vision" in your land. God Bless.

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