Strongly considering traveling to Egypt - advice needed

Mattykins

Mattykins

Cute Member
Hey all,

Let me preface this. Egypt is a place I've fallen in love with ever since I traveled there a few weeks ago. Now they are on the verge of something major. Part of my trip would be to get information into the country, the other half would be to document what is actually happening there.

I know that a few people went to Haiti right after the Earthquake. Does anyone have advice when traveling without setting up full logistics beforehand?

I haven't booked a flight yet, but I just might. And I know the risks, I've been following IRC chats for the past two days and am well aware of the situation on the ground there.

Just wondering if anyone has any experience going into a hazard area.

Thanks guys,

-Matt
 
I say do it.
Also
Invest in your future
Always steal your money back from hookers
Look both ways when crossing a road
It's not murder if you rigg it properly

If your going into an unstable situation, there is no advice anyone can give you that will help, that is what makes it unstable, anything can happen. You have to decide if you want to take the risk or not, just like getting out of bed each morning.
 
I was supposed to go to Haiti right after the earthquake... a local producer got me a plane ticket first and then explained the details... this is a true story:

"Remember ____, your laison from last time you went?
Well... he's dying of a disease now and has gone mad... he's got an entire workforce behind him that thinks HE'S the smart one.
Sometimes he gets to screaming like a dictator, but because of his condition he eventually tires out after a couple hours and calms down.
I want you to film that first... you're going to meet with him to get the story... Oh, and you'll also be security for another person... hey you're a big guy, no problem...
After that, which should only take a day or two... I want you to get a taxi from cap to port... about 8 hours by taxi through the countryside... and then FIND a hotel down in port...
then interview as many people as you can down there and get as much compelling footage of the earthquake as you can get in about a week."

Had I been given all the details up front... instead of getting briefed on the situation AFTER the producer bought a ticket (in person, meeting her for her to tell me the details, of which she gave AFTER buying a ticket right in front of me)... I may have still gone, but I didn't like being "tricked" into it. Initially she said things like " _____ will be so happy to see you again! You'll see him for a couple days..." and after I agreed to do it... yeah, well now he's a danger and you'll be protecting others from him... now make a decision in 10 minutes whether or not you want to go.

I was like, "uh, so the ONE guy I trusted over there has gone crazy, influenced a LOT of other people, and is now a danger... and I'm supposed to meet him in the middle of nowhere to get this story?"

I'm actually leaving out some details which magnify the danger exponentially... but anyway... I didn't go... and I've regretted it ever since... If you feel you're truly risking your life, then I'd try to consider it for the reality... but if there's any kind of plan... I'd be more inclined to do it. If I had "logistics" covered... I'd have gone... and if you have a plan... then I'd be more likely to go. I know a lot of people who died young in this past year... from things a lot less interesting then this.

If I have a plan that makes sense and the odds are in my favor... I'm more likely to take a risk. That's my only advice... I would never run into a fire without a plan and an exit strategy.
 
I'd wait till the riots are over... just saying, cuz tear gas ain't no fun.
Of course, you could go on ebay and get some good Israeli gas masks cheap.
 
Today was the largest protest day to date. The Egyptians are doing a pretty good job so far.

Last night I was working on setting up a ground plan. The plan was to buy a ticket today and head down to JFK to take a flight tomorrow. Seeing the scenes from today - it looks like the major work is going to be over by the time I'd get there on Sunday.

Had protests been going the way they went on Thursday, I'd be there in a heartbeat. But it looks like the turning point is today. So I'm wondering if there'd be much reason to go at this point.
 
I'd think about that statement in your sig also :)

What are you expecting to GAIN from that trip? A story that you can sell or use to show yourself as a doc producer, etc? Put it into a risk : reward analysis... and make sure you're taking risks for good reason. Big risks should pay big rewards and small risks pay small rewards... never take big risks for small rewards.
 
what is happening in Egypt ...no worries I'll google it.

If this is what you want to do I'd say go for it but MattinSTL gives the best advice !
 
It's pretty bad right now. I' wouldn't go. Following up as we speak. It is crazy, I haven't seen anything like this in a while. Something to be proud of I guess, glad I'm egyptian. I wonder what my dad would've said if he were still around, as he lived there and wasn't happy with the way things were over there for a long time...

... anyway it's shocking the rest of the mideast and it's as hairy as everyone says. I wouldn't go. Later on, yeah, but now is indeed quite risky.
 
Check out the IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS website - James Longley gives plenty of detail on what it was like to film in a risky territory.

Do it - while you're still young. When you have kids you start to worry a hell of a lot more!

Good luck.
 
I wouldn't go unless you have contacts. My x-girlfriend is Egyptian and a major activist in Egypt; we communicated the day before it all rained down. She was offline after that when the government shut communications down, and is now transmitting from undisclosed locations. So unless you know what your doing and have solid contacts there, its best to not go. Also, there are already documentarians shooting that know the area as they are from the region and of course speak Arabic as well.

Michael Pappas
http://www.facebook.com/PappasArts
http://www.pbase.com/Arrfilms
 
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the digital revolution
 
If Discovery Network set this up for me, I would do it. My life isn't worth risking over a Mickey Mouse operation though. Wouldn't have ANY regrets erring on the safe side with this one.
As I get older, I realize a lot of my motivations as a younger man had more to do with ego and ambition than anything else.
 
greymog knows the area pretty well. And he's a pretty cool guy. I might listen to him.

Barring any of that, if you go man, I wish you the best of luck. Stay out of harms way and come home safe.
 
Hey Gord! Long time man. Been in beirut working my ass off. The job earlier still didn't take off so I'm waiting on that.

Egypt's gonna get messy as of about fifteen minutes ago. Mubarak isn't leaving. People are losing their minds, and there are attempts to spark some violence amidst the crowds in order to have a reason to unleash the hounds. I really have no clue what is gonna happen as we haven't seen anything this ballsy in the middle east in years. like decades. It should be clear in a few days, but so far it's up in the air. Go if someone sends you, cause then you get covered (news channel etc) and definitely arabic is necessary, in fact don't even try without.

It was surprisingly peaceful and organized so far, but tonight, after that speech, it really could get hairy.

There are about 36 million people in cairo. Lebanon gets hairy enough and that's only 5 mil in the whole country. Imagine Egypt. It's incredibly tense regionally.

If you're covered, and you speak arabic, go, but I'm afraid it may have peaked.
 
wow. just read my last post. it seems i had no clue a few days ago as well. so yeah, i guess this hasn't happened before ever. I said the same thing today i guess.

Tell you what, I'm going. But I'm waiting for a scarlet to take with me... (mission impossible theme)...

Had to. A Laffer of course, delete away if uncouth.
 
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