Posted by Paul Devlin:
This is a fun, extended scene that was cut out in the final version of Power Trip.
One of the fringe benefits of going through the struggle of living and working in a developing country, is that you also have opportunities you could never get away with in developed countries.
Everything is cheaper and less regulated. Piers would have never been able to build his own chalet in a ski resort in the States. Paraskiing straight off the mountain would be a nonstarter and helicopter skiing would be prohibitively expensive, if it were allowed. But for an expatriot in the Republic of Georgia, all this is possible.
Not that regulations are bad. I had no intention of going Paraskiing myself – looked way too dangerous. But then I realized I needed to get the POV shot to make the scene complete, shrugged my shoulders and almost got killed when my guide bungled the takeoff.
The version of this scene in Power Trip generated criticism at some festival screenings: “How could Piers and his colleagues be enjoying themselves when they’ve created so much suffering for the people of Tbilisi. Shame on them!” Fair enough – I’m documenting, not defending. On the other hand, I suppose you could make that argument against any fun, any time, anywhere, when people are suffering elsewhere in the world.
So enjoy this little adventure – but not too much.
