Overseas risks mapped out for filmmakers

Terrorism, kidnap and ransom, as well as disease are all risks that filmmakers producing overseas should be concerned about, according a report recently released by Aon/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services Inc.
The report ‘2006 Risks in Global Filmmaking Map’ analyzes data for more than 200 countries regarding potential risks that crews and actors will likely face when filming abroad.
The map assigns each country an overall risk, which is rated based on the prevalence of crime and corruption, terrorism, kidnap and ransom, and disease and medical care risk.
Chris Palmer, director of risk control at Aon/Albert G. Ruben and co-author of the 2006 map, says more and more movies are being shot in foreign location. Motivations to film overseas includes creativity and reduced costs of labor as well as tax incentives.
Countries considered to have the highest potential for terrorism include Columbia, Israel, Iraq, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, according to the map.
“The threat of terrorism is not only coming from international extremists, such as Al Qaeda, but it is also emerging from domestic, single-interest and ideological groups and individual criminals,” Paul Bassett, executive director of terrorism and political risk for Aon Ltd, said in a statement. “These entities are cross-fertilizing and becoming more sophisticated, thus increasing the risk for filmmakers overseas.”
Argentina and Jordan are considered the greatest threat regarding political risk. Argentina is a concern because of the economic risk, strikes and regulatory risk common in the country while in Jordan problems may occur due to civil unrest, terrorism and embargo.
Palmer adds that since last year there has been an increase of kidnappings in China. Areas where this is greatest, he says are in coastal regions. Other countries most at risk for kidnap and ransom are Columbia, Georgia, Haiti and Somalia.
Avian influenza pandemic may also be a risk that filmmakers may want to consider in the near future, according to Palmer. However, he adds that “the risk to those cast and crew is very limited, as long as they basically stay out of poultry markets and poultry farms.”
Afghanistan, Colombia, Israel and Iraq are considered the most dangerous areas to filmmakers. The riskiest include Nepal, Kenya, Indonesia, Pakistan and Zimbabwe.
Saudi Arabia, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have all been lowered to ‘high risk’ in 2006 from ‘very high risk’ the previous year.
Palmer says that Morocco, Nicaragua, and the Slovak Republic all appear to have decreased in risk over the past year as well.
Canada, Greenland, Finland, Iceland, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, appear on the map as the least risky areas for filmmakers.
The map can be accessed at www.aon.com/filmrisk.