Here’s something to raise the spirits in this cold and snowy weather: This Friday’s launch party for Zorokovich 1917 vodka, the silent star of our original web series How to Re-Establish a Vodka Empire.
From the blizzardy wastes of Douboviazovka to a cocktail lounge in London’s Mayfair, this little vodka’s come a long way. Filmmaker Dan Edelystn will be holding court at Aura Mayfair from 4pm, sharing the sensational story of how the chance discovery of his grandmother’s diaries led him on an epic journey through his family history, from pre-revolutionary Russia to civil-war era Belfast, and to his great-grandfather Ilya’s vodka distillery, still operating in 21st-century Ukraine.
The challenge he then set himself was to:
- Revive the family vodka brand and, like a perky young David, take on the Goliaths of the alcohol industry
- Restore the fortunes of his ancestral village
- Make a drama-documentary detailing his family history, starring himself and his wife, to be screened on UK television channel More4 in 2011.
How hard could it be?
Watch the story from the beginning.
Zorokovich 1917 is now on sale in Selfridges, London’s swankiest department store.
You can find out more about the launch party on the event’s Facebook page. Dan and his production team will be filming scenes for the documentary film at the launch party, so be sure to slip on your glad rags and wear your jauntiest ushanka hat.
Stylish yet eminently practical, Ben Radcliffe’s powder-coated fixed-gear Flouro Bikes will get you noticed in all the right ways. I challenge you, drivers, to not spot THIS beauty in your rear-view mirror.
You might have noticed that Babelgum looks a little different. We think you’ll like the changes we made to our appearance, but the improvements run deeper than cosmetics.
Firstly, we’ve added a new Animation channel. There you’ll find amazing works, including the hugely popular Dilbert and New Yorker cartoon series. From simple pencil drawings and paper cutouts to state-of the-art digital rendering, we built a shiny new home for all types of animation.
We’ve also made it easier to explore our vast collection of content, save multiple playlists and share your faves with friends.
Babelgum keeps expanding the boundaries of digital broadcasting with original series and exclusive material you won’t find everywhere else. That’s why we’ve also adopted a new motto: Watch What’s Next.
The Editors
He’s the UK’s best-loved “indie laureate”, a charismatic, enigmatic singer songwriter with a unique poetic voice: Peter Doherty recently released his solo album Grace/Wastelands, to widespread critical acclaim.
Broken Love Song is the second single from the album, and Peter chose to première it exclusively here on Babelgum. To accompany it, we also have a never before seen interview with the man himself, two live acoustic performances of Arcady and Lady Don’t Fall Backwards, and some highlights from Peter’s career to date.
Click here to view the selection of videos and find out more.
Babelgum has commissioned a second project as part of its digital studio initiative (following our first original production, Downstream, which we presented here on Tuesday). Extinction Sucks is a wildlife series in six parts, and is premiering on Babelgum as of today March 27th .
Made by wildlife doc gurus Off the Fence, the series suggests concrete solutions to the threat of extinction.
It follows the real-life adventures of Aussie conservationist Aleisha Caruso and her friend Ashleigh Young as they find ways to help save endangered species around the world. In each half-hour episode, the girls are challenged to mount an expedition to help a particular species of animal.
The production’s green credentials are further boosted by the involvement of WWF experts, who will be offering information and input on species and locations.
The show already has a strong online presence, with pages on MySpace and Facebook.
Watch the first episode on Asian Elephants now on Our Earth and for more details about the series click here.
The first original production by and for Babelgum, Downstream focuses on the controversy surrounding the multi-billion dollar development of Alberta’s oil sands.
This beautifully photographed documentary, directed by OSCAR® and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks, is an eye-opening investigation into one of the world’s most polluting oil operations.
The film examines the environmental, economic and health issues surrounding the oil sands development. Iwerks interviewed ecologists, Canadian politicians, Fort Chipewyan residents and a courageous doctor who raised the alarm after noticing unusually high cancer rates in the local community.
As the LA Times reviewer wrote, “There’s a price to be paid for all our gas guzzling”, and Downstream gives us a rare glimpse into the human price of the oil industry.
Watch the short documentary (33min) and behind-the-scenes footage now on the new Our Earth channel and find out more on the Downstream page on our website.
