How do dictatorships like Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan launder their reputations from despotic to democratic? This investigative series exposes how Lady Gaga, luxury gifts, and scandalous private wealth are used to wield a new “caviar diplomacy” around the world.
“The Caviar Connection” uncovers a trail of political malfeasance from the Caspian Sea, stretching across the Balkans, to the heart of the EU in Brussels. Director Benoit Bringer captures journalist Khadija Ismayilova’s harrowing investigation into the oil-rich nations utilizing a “caviar diplomacy” to garner more power and influence. Khadija exposed the corruption by the Azerbaijani, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan governments and was sent to prison over it. From a prison cell, she details how celebrities, bribes, and corruption helped avoid the typical sanctions doled out by the United States.
As a child growing up on the caviar-infested Caspian Sea, Khadija witnessed Azerbaijani break from the USSR and become independent. Heydar Aliyev, a former high-ranking KGB official, was elected president and established a dynastic rule that continues to this day with his son Ilham currently running the show. As Khadija peels back the layers of international intrigue and corruption, she suffers a major loss. Her colleague was found dead, shot five times in the mouth, a clear message to remain silent. Paul Radu (a fellow reporter) has co-founded a network of reporters to connect intercontinental corruption across the EU. Khadijah began publishing reports detailing offshore companies and shell corporations which keep the Aliyev family extremely wealthy. Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan are also in her crosshairs and they receive an equally unflattering profile.
Thanks to reports by WikiLeaks, Khadija was able to gather a mountain of evidence detailing the governments’ illegal practices and war crimes. This was also a reminder that Julian Assange is an important journalist who is facing extradition for simply reporting painful truths. Employing nasty vendettas and other forms of retribution, these gangster rulers around the Caspian make the Corleones look sweet. Khadija faced all kinds of intimidation threats and illegal surveillance that captured her in very intimate and personal moments. Regardless of these threats, Khadija continued her reports. As the EU continued to condone the dictatorships by ignoring the Strasser Report which listed political prisoners – mass protests formed in the streets. Unfortunately, upon arriving Khadija was arrested in Baku and is now on probation while continuing her investigations.
These leaders know the importance of spectacle and employ celebrities – and created Eurovision – to validate their existence. It is quite demoralizing to see singers like Lady Gaga, who pretend to care about human rights, performing for a payday. Regardless, there are some glaring similarities between these Caspian rulers and the lobbying corporations that influence U.S. Policy. While it feels hopeless to see the powerful rulers do everything to suppress any possibility for change, journalists like Khadija Ismayilov are worth rooting for.
“The Caviar Connection” recently had its US Premiere at the 2021 DOC NYC Film Festival
