amago - the riverside conversations

t h e r i v e r s i d e c o n v e r s a t i o n s

a trilogy

The Riverside Conversations, part 1:

The Future of the World (2003)
Investor Jim Rogers discusses the global economic forecast with his colleague Marc Faber and with Daniel Yergin, oil expert and advisor to the White House.

conceived, directed and produced by George Brugmans

camera direction by Odette Toeset

research by Olaf Oudheusden

a VPRO/Amago production
first broadcast: February 9, 2003

The Riverside Conversations, part 2:

The Future of Europe (2004)
Investors Jim Rogers and Marc Faber discuss Europe’s economic outlook with Antony Burgmans, then CEO of Unilever and active lobbyist for the further enlargement of the EU.

conceived, directed and produced by George Brugmans

camera direction by Odette Toeset

research by Olaf Oudheusden

a VPRO/Amago production
first broadcast: May 23, 2004

The Riverside Conversations, part 3:
The Sale of Georgia (2005)

Jim Rogers and Marc Faber travel to Tbilisi, Georgia, to speak with Kakha Bendookidze, the State Minister for Economic Reform.

Mr. Bendookidze is masterminding an ambitious privatization program connected to radical reforms and economic liberalization. Shock treatment meant to put the former Soviet Republic back on its own feet and integrate it in the global economy. Can Bendookidze convince Rogers and Faber to invest in a future "Hong Kong of Central Asia"?

Georgia. A very old civilization with an impressive history and its own alphabet, the first Christian nation, an important hub on the Silk Road between Europe and Asia, and one of the mightiest powers of Asia Minor around 1300, when the country had its Golden Age.

In the 20^th century Georgia lost its independence and became a pawn in Moscow’s chess game, just like other Soviet Republics. When the Soviet Empire collapsed what remained was a tired and corrupt country, a failing state, run by a former Kremlin boss, Eduard Shevardnadze.

In November 2003 the Georgians decided they had enough. After the peaceful Rose Revolution a new, young team took over with a strong mandate to put the country back on its feet again. Whatever it would take.

It soon became clear however that for a very poor country with no infrastructure to speak of, it is not easy to connect to the global economy, to be taken seriously by the outside world and to attract the foreign direct investment necessary to kick start its economy.

The Georgian Kakha Bendookidze – an entrepreneur who amassed a huge private fortune in Russia- was asked to return to his native country to reform its economy. As state minister with a special mandate Bendookidze works day and night to clean up Georgia’s act.

But will the outside world be convinced? Because whatever the Georgians do, their country’s fate is in the hands of those who have the money to save it from collapse.

conceived, directed and produced by George Brugmans

camera direction by Odette Toeset

photography by Thomas Kist, Joost van Herwijnen & Mirian Shengelaia

sound engineering by Eric Leek

editing by Christine Houbiers

research by Olaf Oudheusden

a VPRO/Amago production
first broadcast: April 3, 2005

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