DATELINE
MOLDOVA: Putin’s Next Target?
TX 29/03/2022
SC # |
VISION |
AUDIO |
INTRO
TO WAR AND MOLDOVA |
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1.01 |
FILE FOOTAGE: A MISSILE hits an APARTMENT TOWER triggering a
montage showing the violence and horror of the assault on UKRAINE. |
UPSOT: Air raid siren. Then… Missile strike VO:
February 24 - Vladimir Putin shattered peace
in Europe by launching a full scale invasion of Ukraine. UPSOT: WOMAN: This is downtown. As you can
see it is completely destroyed. UPSOT: ZELENSKY: We are
defending our independence’ |
1.02 |
FILE FOOTAGE: PUTIN signs documents in the KREMLIN then
holds a PATRIOTIC RALLY. |
UPSOT: Crowd cheers. VO: And may already be
looking beyond Ukraine. |
1.03 |
FILE FOOTAGE:
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TITLE: Moldova, Putin’s Next Target? |
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2.01 |
EXT. RURAL – MOLDOVA GVS We’ve arrived in MOLDOVA. Cold… Grey… Poor.
The sort of country no amount of Photoshop could make pretty. |
VO: Bordering Ukraine is the Republic of Moldova, Europe’s
poorest country. VO: In earshot of the bombs falling, this tiny
nation finds itself in a dangerous position. |
2.02 |
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VO: The former
Soviet state is frighteningly close to the port city of Odesa which is
bracing for invasion. |
2.03 |
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THE BORDER |
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3.01 |
A small CHECK POINT on a dirt road. EVAN enters FRAME |
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3.02 |
EXT. BORDER – MOMENTS LATER EVAN speaks with THREE groups of REFUGEES. (1) STRAP: Valentina Mikoaliv, Ukraine (2) STRAP: Tatiana Mikoaliv, Ukraine. |
1. VOX POP: VALENTINA Russian/Ukrainian - They were bombing at night. We are
hanging in there. There are no people left in the city. Our boys are
protecting us and we, old people, are coming here 2. Russian/Ukrainian I’ve stayed until the last moment. But
after the city was shelled several times, I’ve decided to leave. |
3.03 |
We see the faces of the desperate. Sense the scale of situation. EVAN speaks with another woman. STRAP: Olga, Odessa, Ukraine |
VO: The country has taken in more refugees per capita
than any other nation – and has promised to keep its border open. VOX POP – EVAN - How does it feel that you’ve got yourself and your
family to Moldova? |
3.04 |
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VO: For those fleeing the war, Europe’s poorest nation is
also proving to be one of its most charitable. |
THE VINEYARD |
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4.01 |
INT/EXT. VINEYARD – DAY
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VO: Up
the road from the checkpoint, Pucari Estate would
normally be making Moldova’s primary export… wine. VO: But not today. |
4.02 |
EXT. REST STOP – DAY IGOR
arrives and unloads supplies to VOLARIU. |
VO: Workers from the vineyard are running a
rest stop – where Ukrainian refugees can get a
helping hand. |
4.03 |
EXT.
REST STOP – LATER A
carload of REFUGEES arrives. VOLARIU speaks to a MOTHER. |
UPSOT: MOTHER - WOMAN – A few sandwiches each, perhaps… |
4.04 |
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4.05 |
EXT.
REST STOP
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UPSOT: VOLARIU Russian/Ukrainian - Please, some biscuits. |
4.06 |
EXT.
REST STOP BACK
with VOLARIU, he helps get sandwiches to a young girl. |
VOX POP: VOLARIU: Romanian (00:56:31). I am not often proud towards our country, but now I am really proud. |
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THE
SHELTER |
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5.01 |
EXT.
CHISINAU – DAY.
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VO: Many
of the refugees will eventually find their way to Chisinau, the Moldovan
capital. |
5.02 |
A
sea of people lying on the floor on makeshift BEDS. We
find ILINA helping arrange blankets with another VOLUNTEER |
UPSOT: ILINA - ROMANIAN - We need to
get all those blankets and take them over there. VO: It’s staffed by ordinary Moldovan’s … like
volunteer Ilina. |
5.03 |
A REFUGEE speaks with ILINA. Ilina organise to pay for a woman’s taxi so she can
reunite with her family |
VO: For volunteers, looking after the
refugees means giving up more than just their free time. UPSOT: ILINA – RUSSIAN - I can find a taxi there. |
5.04 |
INT. SHELTER – DAY – CONT'D. ILINA does various chores
around the shelter. |
ILINA [THOUGHT TRACK] I think that the Moldavian people answered in a normal way because we have to help our neighbors. Here in Moldova
you can find hospitality and we've proven that. It’s difficult for us but we have to manage it we
do it good, I think. |
5.05 |
EXT. SHELTER – DAY – CONT'D. EVAN chats with a REFUGEE. STRAP: Olga, Mikoaliv, Ukraine.
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VO: But despite finding food, shelter and safety in Moldova most
Ukrainians aren’t keen to stay. OLGA – RUSSIAN -
I do not want to go to Moldova OLGA - I do not know yet, but I want to go further,
further so no one can get me, bomb me and kill me
there. VO: MORE THAN 200,000 refugees have already
left Moldova. Most are headed to NATO countries like Romania, Poland and Germany. |
5.06 |
RESUME
– SHELTER We see more from around the
shelter. Kids playing. Volunteers serving meals at a
soup kitchen etc. |
IV: ILINA – ENGLISH - 09:51 - VO: Given Moldova’s history with Russia, they’re right
to be scared. |
MOLDOVA EXPLAINER |
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6.01 |
FILE FOOTAGE: |
UPSOT
– NEWSREADER - “In Moldova the moment a people
declared their independence. VO: After the collapse of the
Soviet Union, the nation proclaimed its independence in AUGUST 1991 – THE
SAME MONTH THAT Ukraine did. |
6.02 |
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UPSOT
– SOLDIER - “fire” VO: or NATO… leaving it
vulnerable to Russian aggression. VO: With Putin
trying to re-establish Russia’s borders with blood, former Soviet states like
Moldova are on high alert VO: But would Putin really venture beyond
Ukraine? |
DEPUTY SPEAKER OF
MOLDOVAN PARLIAMENT |
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7.01 |
INT.
MOLDOVAN – PARLIAMENT – DAY. EVAN
speaks with politician MIHAIL POPSOI – in the house chamber of the Moldovan
parliament. |
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7.02 |
INT.
MOLDOVAN PARLIAMENT
- CONT’D EVAN
& MIHAIL continue to chat. We see CUTAWAYS giving us a sense of the very
familiar structure of their parliament. This is a WESETERN democracy. |
VO: His government has officially taken a neutral stance regarding
the war – but Mihail is still worried about Putin. * EVAN – NODS *
|
7.03 |
INT.
MOLDOVAN PARLIAMENT
- CONT’D EVAN
& MIHAIL continue to chat about the COST OF REFUGEES. |
IV: MIHAIL POPȘOI – ENGLISH - We are also facing a huge energy
crisis, given that we are so dependent on Russian energy resources, and the
price went through the roof. IV: MIHAIL POPȘOI – ENGLISH - We are doing our best to maintain
the stability. We are really counting on our good friends and partners
in the European union and elsewhere to help us maintain the stability that is
crucial for the political stability in Moldova and in the region. |
7.04 |
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VO: Mihail
says it’s taken nearly three decades to purge Soviet era nepotism and
corruption from Moldova’s political and justice systems. VO: Now with war on its doorstep
Moldova applied for fast-track EU membership |
7.05 |
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IV: MIHAIL POPȘOI – ENGLISH - And that is why also
that we want to |
7.06 |
INT.
MOLDOVAN PARLIAMENT
- CONT’D
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EVAN:
Being part of the EU doesn't give you any security protection that I'm aware
of. NATO does. Are you interested in joining NATO in getting that protection? IV:
MIHAIL POPȘOI – ENGLISH - Being a neutral country that is off the books,
that is not possible, much like there are other European Union member
countries that are neutral: Austria, Sweden, Finland. // Historically, the support for NATO membership
in Moldova has oscillated between 20 and 30% as opposed to joining the
European Union went as high as 70. |
7.07 |
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EVAN:
What would be the Moldovan response if Russia did invade?
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7.08 |
EXT.
MOLDOVA – DAY. Children
play on the streets – their innocence and their very lives at threat. |
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TRANSNISTRIA |
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8.01 |
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8.02 |
GFX:
MAP |
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8.03 |
Details the fight between MOLDOVA and
TRANSNISTRIA. |
VO: In 1991, just two days before
Moldova officially left the Soviet Union – separatists in Transnistria
declared independence. VO: A bloody conflict followed. VO: With Moldova fighting to
reclaim its territory and Moscow arming militia groups to keep the territory
under pro-Russian control.
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8.04 |
FILE
FOOTAGE: Conflict
and fighting in Donbas. |
VO: Transnistria is often
compared with Donbass in Ukraine, where Putin used the eight-year
fight between Russian-backed separatists and the Ukrainian army as an
excuse to invade the country. VO: Many believe the very existence
of Transnistria is a time bomb for Moldova. |
8.05 |
EXT.
DMZ – WAR MEMORIAL – DAY. Snow
falls on EVAN as he meets TIM & SIMONE – some Transnistrian locals. |
EVAN: Hi, are you Tim? Tim: Tim! EVAN: Oh, great. Evan. TIM: Evan. Nice to meet you. EVAN: Thanks for coming out. And
you are? SIMEONE: Simon. EVAN: Simon. Nice to meet you.
You're from? SIMEONE: Transnistria, Tiraspol. EVAN: Transnistria. Excellent. Okay. So where are we here? TIM: We are officially in the DMZ. This is right between
Moldova and Transnistria and Russian peacekeepers are stationed here and,
welcome. |
8.06 |
The
guys chat DONBASS comparisons. |
VO: Simon was born and raised there. |
8.07 |
EXT/INT. CAR- DAY. SIMONE takes EVAN for a drive
around the DMZ. TIM talks from the back of the car. |
TIM: [THOUGHT TRACK] There are sections that are
Moldovan and sections that are Transnistrian. Everything just all blends
together
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8.08 |
EXT/INT. CAR- DAY. The guys
chat peace in the DMZ |
VO: On a tour of the NEUTRAL,
DEMILITARIZED ZONE between Moldova and Transnistria, Tim and Simon continue
to stress that unlike Donbas, both sides here co-exist peacefully.
Nobody supports war. Nobody supports an invasion. |
8.09 |
EXT/INT. CAR- DAY. VARIOUS shots of checkpoints. |
VO: Despite the sentiment, the truce feels uneasy.
VO: Checkpoints, manned by Moldovan police
and Russian soldiers stand at all main intersections.
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8.10 |
EXT/INT. CAR- DAY Tension builds as SIMONE
drives toward a checkpoint and RUSSIAN SOLDIERS, jump out and block his path.
There’s a confusion as her
backs up and drives the other way. |
TIM: Oh, we can't cross They
have blockade the road. |
8.11 |
EXT/INT. CAR- DAY) |
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INSIDE
TRANSNISTRIA |
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9.01 |
UGC: TIM’S PHONE Tim shows us around
Transnistria. |
VO: Tim has sent us this footage
captured on his phone … VO:
The place is like a Soviet Era time capsule… Tim Nothing in Transnistria changed
after the war. For example, in Moldova and in Ukraine, they tore down all the
Soviet memorials and statues, but in Transnistria they kept them. All the old
Soviet union memorials, the statues of Lenin. And
even some of the infrastructure is still there intact as it was in the Soviet union. |
9.02 |
Tour of Transnistria. |
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9.03 |
UGC: TIM’S PHONE Tour of Transnistria. |
VO: Tim’s footage makes it unmistakably clear, where the
population’s allegiances lie. |
9.04 |
Tim takes us to a SOVIET MAN
CAVE. |
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9.05 |
TIM introduces us to the owner
of a MAN CAVE then takes a shot. |
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9.06 |
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ALEXANDR: KaBoom.
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9.07 |
RESUME: Man cave… Tim and
Alexander do a shot. |
TIM: We gotta
take a drink in the Soviet gun garage. So, this samogonka homemade vodka that they make themselves. So, Na Zdorovie! Here’s to you, here’s to you, brother. TIM: Ah,
that's about 80 proof. So, uh, yeah, it burns going down. Take a little snack
with it. |
9.08 |
UGC: TIM’S PHONE We see more curious in the man
caves then watch TIM chat with ALEXANDER. |
ALEXANDER:
Transnistria is a peaceful country where everybody gets along, Correct? Absolutely.
I’ve got lots of friends in Moldova. I travel to |
9.09 |
We see more of Transnistria,
focusing on the people. |
VO: But it’s not up to the citizens of
Transnistria. VO: And having an army waiting in
Transnistria is not helping calm Moldovan nerves. |
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MOLDOVAN’S
ON THE EDGE |
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10.01 |
EXT. DRONE – CRIULENI We fly across the river to the
bordering town of CRIULENI. |
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10.02 |
EVAN speaks with a WOMAN in A
RED SCARF. STRAP: Dina, Criuleni Resident |
WOMAN/RED SCARF:
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10.03 |
EXT. CRIULENI – GVs A sequence shows us the sites
of the simple town – ending with EVAN standing by a river with the Mayor. STRAP: Mikhael, Criuleni Mayor |
VO: The
MOLDOVAN town of Criuleni lies directly on the
border of Transnistria....AND IT’S JUST 20KM FROM UKRAINE
EVAN: So the war is close? |
10.04 |
We continue to get a view
around town. |
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10.05 |
RESUME - EXT. CRIULENI – EVAN
& MAYOR. EVAN chats with MAYOR |
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10.06 |
RESUME - EXT. CRIULENI STREET
– DAY EVAN speaks with a WOMAN in A
RED SCARF. |
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10.07 |
EXT. CIRULENI STREETS – DAY EVAN chats with TWO YOUNG MEN
– frightened about what may happen to their town.
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AD BREAK |
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A
RUSSIAN MOLDOVA |
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11.01 |
FILE FOOTAGE: PUTIN’S MOSCOW RALLY. A sea of the faithful scream
for RUSSIA’S PRESIDENT. PUTIN channels TRUMP as he
pledges his commitment to defeating Ukraine. |
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: To liberate the
people from this genocide, of these sufferings... this is the main reason, motive and goal of the military operation which we
have launched in the Donbass and Ukraine. VO: With Putin unrelenting in his
assault on Ukraine, it’s difficult to know what comes next for neighbouring
Moldova. |
11.02 |
EXT. MOLDOVA VILLAGES – DAY GV sequences showing Moldova’s poor. Perhaps look at kids buying
lollies in a shop from DAY 6. |
VO: If
trade routes to the east remain severed, the cost of living in Europe’s
poorest country will rise impossibly high. |
11.03 |
INT. REFUGEE STADIUM – DAY. We see ELENA helping the refugees. |
VO: And if more Ukrainian cities are attacked, the
refugees will keep coming. |
11.04 |
GFX: We resume our opening maps and
highlight Odessa again and it’s
proximity to TRANSNISTRIA and MOLDOVA. |
VO: For
Moldovans, all eyes are on the Ukrainian port city of Odessa near its
southern border. Its capture or even a serious attack would spell disaster.
|
11.05 |
INT. PARLIAMENT – DAY MIHAIL shares his fears for Odessa.
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The extent of the humanitarian
crisis that this would create in Southern Ukraine, in Odessa region,
according to UNHCR estimates that could lead to about a million refugees
coming to Moldova in matter of days. |
11.06 |
GFX – Resuming the ODESSA MAP (10.04) we
zoom out and show the territory Putin would occupy stretching from Russian to
Moldova. |
VO: Just as worryingly,
Odesa’s capture could give Putin a land corridor, stretching from Russia
right up to Transnistria - linking up with Russian troops already there in moldovan territory |
11.07 |
EXT. MARKET – DAY EVAN walks around a market
with ILINA (the volunteer we met earlier). They chat about the fear
of Russian invasion. |
ILINA – Thirty? For one kilogram? Or? STALL OWNER – Per kilogram ILINA – Kilogram. Okay. And the pickles? STALL OWNER – The same VO: If
Putin doesn’t stop, average Moldovans like Ilina are
afraid it will mean the end of life as they know it. EVAN: What would be lost in Moldova if there was a
Russian Putin regime government here more pro Russian
government // What's at stake?
ILINA: I was thinking about it, first
of all I was afraid and afterward I decide I that I will fight for my country
and if we will have Putin regime here I don't want
to live in such a country so I will leave but I hope that this will not
happen. EVAN: When you say you would fight for your country,
what does fight mean? ILINA: Its like Ukrainian
woman take the gun and fight? EVAN: Really? ILINA: Yes because in a war
this is how things are going no? EVAN: So you would take up a
gun and try and fight Russian soldiers? ILINA:
Yes I think that its normal that we local people to
decide what we want for our country this is normal and when someone tries to
is trying to change this you want to fight for your county for your future
and this is what is happening now in Ukraine all the people are fighting even
the woman.
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OTHER WAYS TO FIGHT |
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12.01 |
FILE
FOOTAGE: Moldovan
Army induction ceremony. |
VO: But as a tiny nation with half
the population of Sydney, most agree Moldova wouldn’t stand much of a chance
against a Russian invasion. |
12.02 |
INT.
PASHA’S STUDIO – DAY. EVAN
chat with PASHA – a good looking Muso type. |
|
12.03 |
INT.
PASHA’S STUDIO – DAY. EVAN
chat with PASHA – a good looking Muso type. |
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12.04 |
FILE FOOTAGE: Pasha singing at Eurovision |
VO:
This clip shows Pasha at the height of his fame - representing Moldova at
Eurovision 2012 -
as Moldova’s most loved pop idol. VO: Now he’s one of the country’s most visible social activists |
12.05 |
INT.
PASHA’S STUDIO – DAY PASHA
treats us to an acoustic version of an ANTI-WAR DITTY he’s been working on. |
PASHA
SINGING - Come home I
am waiting home for you Come
back alive, don’t shoot PASHA IV: Yeah. And we have strong call to action for
Russian soldiers in the song, in the chorus. PASHA
SINGING - I am waiting home for you. Come
back alive, don’t shoot.
PASHA
SINGING – At home they are waiting for you to come back alive. Don’t shoot,
go home. |
WRAP UP |
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13.01 |
MONTAGE:
PASHA’S
singing continues ‘til the end of the program. We see
CLOSE UPS of FACES from throughout the film. Settling
on MIHAIL – DAY 5 |
VO: MIHAIL POPȘOI: Moldova sadly has learned to
live with this constant anxiety, with its security being threatened, There is some resilience that is built in the Moldovan
society, And hopefully we can come to the end of this barbaric
conflict as soon as possible and try to rebuild and try to come back to
normal, if that is ever possible. |
13.02 |
RESUME:
INT. PASHA’S STUDIO – DAY PASCHA
SINGS. |
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CREDITS |
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14.01 |
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VO: And up next....The Feed *** |