World without Borders: A Story of Freedom

Social revolution is in the news, from the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street to the protests in the streets of Moscow. Zamir has a unique perspective on this phenomenon, having grown up under Soviet censorship only to see a world of freedom open up, one that included Diane Sawyer, Billy Crystal, Tilda Swinton, and Anthony Bourdain. He knows what is going on in Russian, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Poland, Bulgaria, and many other places once dominated by the U.S.S.R. He knows where the bones are buried, where Stalin created underground cities, how super spies turned Americans into turncoats, how the modern Russian state treats its most vulnerable citizens. Let him take you on a journey inside the former Soviet Union.

For a college and university audience: This talk can be tailored to students, who all over the world find their ability to communicate exploding even as their fears for their future multiply.

For a general and varied audience: This insider’s talk helps us understand the current business and cultural opportunities and climate in Russia and the many lands where it once cast a long shadow.

Now Presenting... Zamir!

He’s comical, a little crazy, and he likes a drink or two. You never know what he’ll say but you can be sure it’s not like anything you’ve ever thought before. He’s not a bad dancer, in his way. Wouldn’t you like the one and only Zamir to host your next party event? Can be tailored to include a sponsor and other celebrities.

Strictly Zamir: A Conversation with Zamir Gotta

What is it like to go from a childhood waiting on Soviet food lines to feasting and drinking with Anthony Bourdain? Zamir has stories! From being holed up in an Iraqi power plant in the Soviet era to brokering Russian beauties for the Ford Model agency, from field producing documentaries for ABC and the BBC to traveling the U.S. on a Greyhound bus, he has literally traveled to freedom. Then he met Anthony Bourdain and things really got interesting. But who is the real Zamir? Is he Crimean, Jewish, Turkish, Russian? Yes! What does he know about the Russian military? How did he get to know master spies? Let the one-and-only Zamir entertain you with his personal stories.

Russian Film: An Exploration in Culture

How much passion and purpose does it take to produce thought-provoking films about society's invisible citizens? How is the creative process reflected seen through the lens of post-Cold War Russia? Zamir Gotta conceived and produced two documentary films in his native Russia:

Touch-Line (2009, 26 minutes) is the story of young Russians and Chechens wounded in the war in Chechnya. Formerly rivals on the soccer field, they join forces to form a team of physically challenged athletes, winning championships in Europe and worldwide.

The Stage Awaits (2011, 39 minutes) follows a Moscow-based theatre company with a unique ensemble: all of the actors have Down syndrome. A theatre without walls, there is no permanent place for rehearsals, no funds to stage performances or pay the staff. Survival and success spring solely from the close ties among the director, the actors, and their families.

In this frank discussion about the challenges facing Russian citizens today, Zamir opens his heart to describe what inspired him to turn the camera on those who had been shunned solely for being different, offering a fresh perspective on artistic freedom.