Amnesty International - "Extreme Survivor"

June 7, 2009 1:52 PM

What's the story behind this video?

Is it a stunt double (the camera work makes it look suspicious)? Is it a joke? There's something dubious about it.

posted by mpls2 to media & arts (7 comments total)

Yeah, pretty sure that's a stunt double.

But I don't think that's the point.
posted by Sys Rq at 2:16 PM on June 7

I've watched a lot of skate videos and that one doesn't seem out of the ordinary. Besides, why would they lie about it? It's for a line of skatewear.
posted by rhizome at 2:28 PM on June 7

It isn't a joke, despite the fact it's very likely a stunt double
posted by ashaw at 2:37 PM on June 7

like it says at the beginning of the video, his name is Mansur Rajih - he's a poet from Yemen

have to say, that's an inspiring bit of advertising... the slogan is brilliant

but, yes, the camera work seems a bit suspicious - also, unlike what is shown in movies, most folk do not fully recover after intensive torture - their bodies are, quite literally, broken - so, if he's really doing that amazing move, then it makes it that much more inspirational...
posted by jammy at 2:50 PM on June 7

Notice how there are two separate instances where there is no one in frame? That's when they switch to a stunt double.
posted by now i'm piste at 7:35 PM on June 7

Pretty sure there's a double squatting at Rajih's knee level. Rajih talks, straps on the helmet, then ducks out of shot at the same moment as the stunt double takes off and does the skate trick. Then Rajih jumps back into shot. There's no stop-tape there as far as I can see- it's just good timing between the two men. I'd expect a spokesman and stunt-double combination to get this kind of timing right in about 15-20 takes.... definitely all in a half-day's work.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 12:19 AM on June 8

"What's the story behind this video?"

There are two.

Cynical: A 'boarding company is trying to appeal to the adolescent sense of outrage over social injustice in order to sell over-priced duds.

Upbeat: A poor schmuck who lost a good portion of his life to medieval barbarians is getting a chance to put a little cash in his pocket and have some kind of decent life.

Take your pick.
posted by dinger at 7:08 AM on June 8