The Dark Side of Russia's Teen Model Industry | Reggie Yates Extreme Russia | @DocoCentral

Summary

"The Dark Side of Russia's Teen Model Industry" is an eye-opening documentary by Reggie Yates, exploring the complexities and harsh realities of the modeling world in Siberia. The film reveals how young girls as young as 12 are scouted by international agents and thrust into a competitive industry oftentimes fueled by a dream of escaping their humble beginnings. Amid promises of financial success, the reality for many is often much harsher, with the potential of exploitation looming over the aspiring models. The documentary captures the contrasting narratives of opportunity and exploitation, set against the backdrop of Siberia's cold landscape and its socio-economic challenges.

Highlights

• Reggie Yates explores Siberia's model industry, uncovering harsh realities for young girls. 📷
• Girls are recruited as young as 12, with promises of riches and a better life. 💰
• The documentary reveals blurred ethical lines within the modeling industry. 🤯
• Modeling provides a rare chance for many Siberian girls to escape economic hardship. 💸
• There's a stark contrast between the glamorous façade of modeling and the underlying exploitation. 🔍

Key Takeaways

• The modeling industry in Siberia targets extremely young girls, sometimes as young as 12. 🌟
• Despite the glamor, modeling is fraught with risks including potential exploitation. ❗
• Many young models see modeling as a way out of poverty and into a new life. 🌍
• The market demands vary, with Asia favoring younger looks while Europe and America require taller heights. 🗺️
• The social-economic backdrop of Siberia adds a desperate allure to the dream of modeling. 🌨️

Overview

The documentary embarks on a journey to the Siberian heartland, where model scouts from around the world convene to discover the next top models. Reggie Yates paints a vivid picture of this bustling, competitive scene, underscoring the youthful age of participants—some barely into their teens. The allure of modeling proves strong against Siberia's stark, geographic and socio-economic landscape.

As the story unfolds, viewers are taken through casting sessions where the physical and emotional demands on these young girls are put on unfiltered display. Despite the momentary glamor, behind the scenes lies a world where ethical guidelines blur and exploitation risks run high. The perceived shortcut to fame and fortune often masks the stark realities faced by the model hopefuls.

Reggie also delves into the motivations behind these girls and their families' decisions, highlighting the socio-economic factors fuel aspirations despite understood risks. Through candid interviews and behind-the-scenes glimpses, the documentary juxtaposes the dreams sold to the young girls with the gritty truth of life in the modeling industry, making for a provoking and eye-opening narrative.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 01:00: Introduction to Russia This chapter serves as an introduction to Russia, highlighting its vast size as the largest country on Earth with a population nearing 150 million. Reflecting on perceptions of Russia in the 1980s in London, it was often depicted as a formidable adversary. With Vladimir Putin currently in his third presidential term, those historical perceptions seem to be resurging.
• 02:00 - 05:00: Trans Siberian Railway and Model Scouts The chapter discusses the strained relationship between Britain and Russia, particularly in light of events in eastern Ukraine. Despite the West imposing sanctions on Russia due to its alleged involvement in the violence, the connections between the regions continue in different forms. One such connection is the influx of young Siberian models into the Western fashion industry, despite the broader political tensions. The chapter hints at complex interactions between politics and cultural exchanges, as embodied by the presence of these models in Western fashion circles.
• 05:00 - 09:00: Model Casting in Siberia In this chapter, the focus is on Lia, a 13-year-old aspiring model from Siberia. It highlights the trend of very young children, especially in Russia, beginning model training at early ages, sometimes as young as when they can barely walk. While the dream of becoming a model is enticing for many, the chapter suggests there is a more sinister aspect to this ambition lurking in the background.
• 13:00 - 18:00: Ana's Village and Modeling Dreams The chapter delves into the challenges and dilemmas faced by parents as they navigate the blurred lines between right and wrong while aspiring to make a new life in the West, leaving behind their past in Siberia.
• 19:30 - 31:00: Siberian Model Tours and the Fashion Market This chapter introduces the vastness of Siberia, highlighting the Trans Siberian Railway as the longest railway in the world, covering over 9,000 km and crossing eight time zones. It notes the extreme cold of the region, with temperatures dropping as low as -60 degrees, and emphasizes Siberia's massive size, which is so extensive that it could be the largest country if it were a standalone nation.
• 33:00 - 46:00: Challenges and Realities of Modeling The chapter titled 'Challenges and Realities of Modeling' discusses the nuances of the modeling industry, specifically focusing on Siberia as an emerging and significant location for scouting new talent. Despite its enormous size, Siberia has a relatively small population, and its vastness means that those looking to find the next big face in modeling often have to travel extensively through the region. The chapter narrates a glimpse of this journey, focusing on the experience of modeling scouts who traverse through Siberia using the main connective road and train services regionally available. It includes a personal recount from someone named Reg, who meets an individual named Taco, originally from Tokyo, highlighting the international interest and diversity in scouting new models from this remote part of the world.
• 48:00 - 57:00: Casting and Results for Aspiring Models This chapter focuses on the process of casting and selection criteria for aspiring models. The conversation highlights the unpredictability and variation in the number of suitable candidates found during casting sessions. Reggie, one of the individuals involved in the casting, emphasizes the importance of finding models with a strong facial presence, preferably young girls around 13 to 14 years old who are still developing. The interaction also serves as an introduction between Reggie and another participant, Kate, detailing their initial meeting and their role within the casting context.
• 60:00 - 79:00: Ana and Katiya's Path to Modeling Success Ana and Katiya, two young aspiring models, are navigating the challenging path to success in the modeling industry. They face societal pressures related to age, as the industry typically favors younger individuals, highlighting that even teenagers are sometimes considered too old. The narrative discusses a client preference for younger-looking girls and contrasts this with cultural differences, such as in Britain where children cannot participate in C walks until they are 16. This chapter sheds light on the age discrimination and cultural nuances that Ana and Katiya encounter on their journey.
• 89:00 - 93:00: Conclusion and Reflections on Modeling Industry The chapter discusses the modeling industry with a focus on young models being favored, particularly in the Asian market. It highlights the industrial city of CNAs, a significant distance from Moscow and distinctly different from the UK. The historical context of Siberia being a place for political prisoners in Soviet times is briefly mentioned, adding depth to the reflection on the current modeling industry.

The Dark Side of Russia's Teen Model Industry | Reggie Yates Extreme Russia | @DocoCentral Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 welcome to Russia that's how cold it is look the largest country on Earth and home to nearly 150 million people growing up as a kid in the ' 80s in in London Russia was painted as this weird big baddy now with Vladimir Putin well into his third term as president it's starting to feel like that again Pro
• 00:30 - 01:00 Russian rebs in eastern Ukraine has igned the dark warnings from there going have to be a very different relationship between Britain and Russia the West has imposed tough sanctions against Russia Russia is responsible for the violence and relations are the frostiest since the Cold War but this hasn't stopped an army of young Siberian models invading the west and while the catwalk and magazine demand for these girls grow I'm here where it all starts
• 01:00 - 01:30 at the castings my name is Lia I'm 13 years old I'm from Siberia the dream starts young somebody's go 13 very young with thousands of Russian children starting model training almost as soon as they can walk fashion but there's a darker side to the dream
• 01:30 - 02:00 if I were a parent I don't know what I would do the the right and the wrong is just so blurred so I'm going to find out just what it takes to make it in the west and leave Siberia behind [Music] [Music]
• 02:00 - 02:30 at over 9,000 km long and Crossing eight time zones the Trans Siberian Railway is the longest in the world and the coldest temperatures here can drop as low as -60 that's how cold it is look you feel that Siberia is so huge that if it were a country it would be the biggest in the
• 02:30 - 03:00 world 50 times the size of the UK but with around half of the population most Siberians live along this [Music] road so this is the train that model Scouts from all over the world must take in search of fresh new Siberian faces hey how you doing I'm reg what's your name taco taco taco nice to meet you nice to meet you so where where exactly are you from Tokyo Tokyo yeah and and
• 03:00 - 03:30 how many girls are you expected to find in the time that you're here well as much as possible I mean if you cannot find it you cannot find it if you find 10 you find 10 it's just like that yeah yeah so what is it you're specifically looking for the actually what we are looking for the somebody who has a strong face and they're still young like a 14 years old 13 years old girls uh they're still growing so I haven't introduced myself to you either sorry I'm Reggie hi I'm Kate nice to meet you hell okay nice to meet you nice to meet you so why here I mean this is so far
• 03:30 - 04:00 away from from home for you girls no what specifically what type of girls it's Short age like only teenagers maybe over one age people think you are getting old and no chance anymore but so you're looking for someone who feels and looks younger yeah our client love it our C like young girls in Britain children aren't allowed on the C walk until they're 16 and
• 04:00 - 04:30 although girls younger than that do model for magazines the Asian market specifically looks for the youngest [Music] faces the first stop on the model tour is the industrial Mining City of CNAs 3,000 mi from Moscow and a world away from the UK in Soviet times Siberia was where political prisoners were sent to die a few decades later
• 04:30 - 05:00 and it's not how I imagined it as a as a kid growing up in in North London when you think of somewhere like Siberia you just imagine this huge vast sort of massive land with mountains and snow and nothingness but the bit that I'm in right now it could very easily be somewhere in the UK you know there's literally tower blocks everywhere we very easily could be impa and this is where the Glamorous Life of a Siberian super model begins at
• 05:00 - 05:30 a casting organized by local agencies for the visiting talent [Music] scouts and coming to a casting like this really can pay off Natalia vodan NOA was discovered selling Fruit by the side of the road in Russia now she's a millionaire supermodel but this is the first step standing next to naked in front of [Music] strangers I don't remember the last time I felt this this awkward I think it
• 05:30 - 06:00 might have been the time when um I stayed at my mom's and I found my little sister who I'm convinced is still 9 years old even though she keeps telling me she's 19 when I found her bra it was the weirdest feeling I think I've ever had and that is now being sort of gazumped by what I'm feeling right now because just over my right shoulder there's a whole heap of kids and they're in pants and and bras but then I see something that really takes me a
• 06:00 - 06:30 back whoa [Music] waa they're all so [Music] young I didn't expect there to be this
• 06:30 - 07:00 many people and um I didn't expect them to be this young it looks like everyone here is about the age of I don't know be 15 16 tops then the director of Noah models arrives t and katrian has been running casting sessions like this for 20 years uh as if these girls weren't standing up straight enough already um there's suddenly been a bit of an atmosphere change in here because there's a a guy that everybody is um
• 07:00 - 07:30 shaking hands with hello hello Reggie I'm TIG nice nice to meet you tigin could you explain um Your Role uh today well the role is to select girls uh primarily uh for ourselves to send all across the world for them to work there are many young girls here and what sort of numbers are you expecting today uh I expect to find about 10 to 15 girls here out of how many turning up how many people you expecting to arrive probably 100 a lot of them have great
• 07:30 - 08:00 potential the critical part is the character most Russian girls okay they're like Ferraris without angin but when you when we start working with them we put those anges try to uh make that a awesome car so I'm going to start calling you the mechanic for the rest of where are the Mechanics for girl tn's right-hand woman Anna yakova is running today's event she personally manages over 100 girls working all over the
• 08:00 - 08:30 [Music] world bless them on their cards they've got their name and their [Music] age my name is Lisa I'm 13 years old my height is 176 I'm from Siberia I like modeling traveling and swimming
• 08:30 - 09:00 some of these girls are as young as [Music] 13 if any of the scouts like a girl a code letter is added to their card some of them may have worked before and some will be newbies and in the Asian market they can start as young as 12 Asia is like the kindergarten then uh that's the first Market that you send to that's where
• 09:00 - 09:30 they start yeah okay then they go to Europe Europe you can consider as the high school yeah then they go to the US and that's the university right so what are you looking for what can you tell already um the photogenic qualities uh certain geometry of the face and the proportions uh of the body if you take the distance between the eyes you take the distance between the nose and the eyes right got this down to a science yeah it is
• 09:30 - 10:00 it feels like a really strange thing to say but these young women trying to get a job you know and in any other environment they'll be holding up their CV whereas here their CV is their body it's the way they look it's the way they walk it's how they smile how confident they are and um when you see the people who are the right Bo quote unquote you can really tell the difference
• 10:00 - 10:30 you Mom hello pleasure to meet you how you doing I'm I'm Reggie what's your name hello lovely to meet you she's um she's got every single Agency on there so um did you did you ever come to something like this did you ever try [Laughter]
• 10:30 - 11:00 do you think that you would have coped as well being that young and wearing so little in [Music] [Laughter] public hello my name is s I'm fromia quite a lot of the girls were getting letters and this marks them out for the next step hello
• 11:00 - 11:30 all right so what have we got on this piece of paper there's two letters on here what does that [Music] mean I see that you put your uh your jumper back on now is it um is it a bit weird being in a bra and and underwear for so long [Music]
• 11:30 - 12:00 if I was in my underwear stood out there I'd be [Music] crying so have you officially made it or is this sort of a step towards finding out the journey from Siberia to supermodel is a long one and tan likes to start them young
• 12:00 - 12:30 [Music] I feel great when I help these young girls because over here they don't have uh big opportunities is that why you got into this then to to help young women yes yes I do uh I want to really help these young women and uh it gives me great joy spiritually when somebody becomes very
• 12:30 - 13:00 successful I take great pride in it so we'll see okay all right uh I'm sure I'll catch up with you again in a little bit yeah thank you thank you something tells me though it's not just about spiritual reward this is business each teenage model that t signs could make him thousands in commission but was he right about the lack of opportunity Ana's been trying to be model for 3
• 13:00 - 13:30 years I'm going back to her Village to see what life is like for her [Music] [Music] there now this is what I imagine Siberia would be like it's only an hour outside of crnas but it feels a million miles away and has lived all of her life in a
• 13:30 - 14:00 village in the middle of a forest called ofano Ana this couldn't be any more different to uh to where I grew up I mean what's it like living here being a guy who who grew up in a big city like London there are opportunities literally everywhere I look I mean what sort of opportunities do you have growing up here
• 14:00 - 14:30 the Russian education system is good more than half of Russian girls go to university but in a country where even doctors make just over £400 a month I can see the temptation to work
• 14:30 - 15:00 abroad hello how you doing nice to meet you Anna lives in a one-bedroom flat with her mom Tatiana her father died when she was four so Anna's mom brought her and her brother up on her own and is that one of your paintings yeah that's [Music] beautiful oh wow so this is your art as well look at this me very nice Anna dreams of being an artist but fin finding a way of making money out of
• 15:00 - 15:30 that feels like a pipe dream how realistic is it to to have a career as an artist here you know being totally honest with you it seems as though this is where your heart is and uh modeling is definitely where the money is and where her career
• 15:30 - 16:00 [Music] is but how soon will it be before you get that big break do you think [Music]
• 16:00 - 16:30 Ana has to rush off to rehearsals for siberia's Next Top Model a reality show shooting in KES and see you soon good luck okay which leaves time for a chat with her mom you yes please and my first taste of Siberian [Music] Hospitality I was just looking at this while you were in the in the kitchen making the tea and I can't believe that
• 16:30 - 17:00 it's the same girl cuz she looks like just a normal teenager here with you and and your son and then here she just looks like a completely different person in these model shop
• 17:00 - 17:30 wow I going to have one of these do you think then that your um do you think that your daughter will actually make it can any Ana become a professional model okay so if if Ana actually makes it as a
• 17:30 - 18:00 model and is successful will she have to send money home will she have to look after her family so is the modeling career currently bringing any money into the [Laughter] house wow that's that must be tough now when I got here anna was uh really really welcoming and showed me her her room and showed me all of her pictures
• 18:00 - 18:30 on her wall but one thing she didn't show me was where you sleep so where's your room and and where do you where do you lay your head in the so you sleep you sleep here [Music]
• 18:30 - 19:00 when you um when you see just how Humble Home is you can understand why an is though focused um it sort of stirred up a lot of um lot of stuff in me cuz I remember growing up in not the nicest counselor state in the world uh with not very much and um I also grew up with a mom who made the best of what she had and um when you've got someone like that looking after you you all you want to do
• 19:00 - 19:30 is look after [Music] [Applause] them I'm back on the Trans Siberian Express on the next leg of the model tour and it's another 800 kilm to siberia's Capital Nova subers not a lot of room so uh I guess this is home for the next 12 hours Anna the Scout from Noah models is in
• 19:30 - 20:00 the next Carriage she's been running these Siberian model tours for 6 years hello Anna hello hey so what is it about Siberian girls that draws people from everywhere what is really special about Siberians is their Roots so a lot of people were pris during Soviet times so from Ukraine from Baltic republics also a lot of people are coming from Asian part to say IIA it's a mixture of ethnics roots so the
• 20:00 - 20:30 faces are really interesting and also Siberian girls have better skin and uh hair conditions because I think you noticed that there are there were a lot of girls with hair up to the waist so it's really it's really unique I had absolutely no idea until today that girls under the age of 16 were were going around the world on their own for for modeling trips how do you look after
• 20:30 - 21:00 them when they when they leave here it's not only me who look after them it's we are making the big Team all together so it's the local agency in Cross Newar or in no where we're going and also the agencies we are working with how does it get split whatever's earned tickets then uh Transportation accommodation uh allowances all advanced by the agency if the girl doesn't cover this expense by her jobs she doesn't
• 21:00 - 21:30 have to return the money so a successful girl a girl who does well in maybe the Asian market or European market how much is she likely to earn in a year just round so if we don't talk about like top top top model like Kate Moss or CLA Schiffer if we are talking about just normal models models um it can be like 20,000 per month us 30 yeah like that yeah USD 20 grand net
• 21:30 - 22:00 a month for a 15-year-old girl from saber that's a hell of a that's for for a 15-year-old girl from London that's a hell of but we we say about highest rates I mean so it can be sometimes the girl come back home with zero because their expenses were more than their earnings so next trip could be more successful yeah all right well I'll let you get on um good talking to you and I I'll see you in the morning sure okay and I hope you will enjoy my home seity
• 22:00 - 22:30 your home seity yes I'm looking forward to it it's still 10 long hours till Nova sub but at least I'm in business class it's been a very long first day in Siberia and a bit of a culture shock to begin with I just felt really um for want of a better word and not to sound like a complete sap I felt quite sad at the beginning of the day cuz I just saw so many
• 22:30 - 23:00 kids stood there in their underwear desperately clutching at a chance for a better life desperately clutching at a chance to do something to make it but you know the more the day went on the more I understood that these teenagers aren't being forced to do anything they put themselves there because that's where they want to be and they see it as an opportunity to do something else it's a really strange day
• 23:00 - 23:30 novais is thousands of miles from the catwalks of London Paris and New York but in this city alone there are 24 different model agencies and schools so I want to see what they're actually teaching them hello hello hey how you doing I'm I'm Reggie nice to meet you my name is Olga hello Olga director
• 23:30 - 24:00 Global [Music] model girls start these classes as young as [Music] four learning to walk pose apply makeup and diet today there's a fashion shoe for their portfolios it's like behind the scenes at the Paris catwalks but with young kids instead [Music]
• 24:00 - 24:30 [Music] she's a little Pro look she's hitting the poses straight away excuse me hello hello hi is this is this your daughter yes ah nice to meet
• 24:30 - 25:00 you hello Mom Mom and Dad right hello lovely to meet you lovely to meet you and how how old is she six old 6 years old wow so she's she's really young just a generation ago during Soviet times there was virtually no modeling industry in Russia how do you look at models here in Russia cuz there are so many girls that want to do it you m
• 25:00 - 25:30 [Music] why do you think that there are so many
• 25:30 - 26:00 negative connotations when it comes to modeling hello what's your name Z zata how old are you zata you're 12 [Music] [Applause] wow she's amazing at modeling and this
• 26:00 - 26:30 is what models are supposed to do they're supposed to make love to the [Music] camera she's a child and she's delivering quite mature and slightly sexual um poses and that's the right thing to do in this context but for it to be a child delivering that that's where I struggle the Final Girl of the day safia comes in
• 26:30 - 27:00 and she's got her eyes firmly on the prize so how old is your daughter right she seems very practic like she knows all of her poses and her angles already I mean did you did you use the model you could have done if no you did so how successful were you were you able to get to the top tier
• 27:00 - 27:30 really it's amazing how quickly these kids have bought into the dream of riches and stardom after all only one
• 27:30 - 28:00 generation ago Russia was a communist country tan the model agency boss has seen huge change over the last 20 years during the Soviet Union you know when once you got your AG everything was planned you get your degree then you do this job you get this standard salary so hardly anybody challenged that it was a very stable boring lifestyle right but these younger girls they don't want that
• 28:00 - 28:30 what sort of young women are being produced by having these opportunities and by being live and being young in this this time they far more creative they want to be someone in life unlike their mothers you know what it takes uh I mean what happens when you send a 14-year-old girl from a poor or average family to Japan let's say and she comes home with $20,000 that she earned in 2 months now that's that's amazing their mothers didn't have that chance they do
• 28:30 - 29:00 with so much money on offer and the girls being so young I can't help but wonder if people ever take advantage of them you know there are agencies all over but most are not really doing uh jobs to send girls to the west where they work professionally as models so these other agencies then are they essentially setting these girls up to be escorts uh no no no what they do is they find a wealthy boyfriend for these girls and that's a far more profitable
• 29:00 - 29:30 business unfortunately and many of the parents knowingly give their girls to them why would any parent because because it's it's in the Russian culture it's in the Russian dream to have uh to to get married to have a wealthy boyfriend to have a beautiful apartment to have a beautiful car and so that's what happens that's mind-blowing to me that a parent would want their daughter to live that sort of half life that doesn't make that's the reality of it that's the
• 29:30 - 30:00 reality of it T's holding the second model casting tomorrow and I'm starting to see how this could be a life-changing event for the girls who show up Elite stars is one of the top agencies in town and there's just time for one last practice before they meet the international Scouts former model Reena has to teach her students everything she's
• 30:00 - 30:30 learned scouted at 15 she's lived in London and New York and worked for Vogue magazine and Brands like Chanel and Dior she knows what these girls need to learn if they're going to stand a chance uh regy right yes regy I want you to
• 30:30 - 31:00 help me with English class wow yeah because the girls are going to go to work uh in a modeling agency in Paris London Tokyo everywhere so they need practice so let's play little game like a casting like you're a client and the girls they coming to you they looking for a job okay I need a berry and a cigarette don't I hello hello hey hey my name is
• 31:00 - 31:30 AB I'm from Russia I'm 15 years old okay it's a good walk hello hey what's your name my name is Dan I'm 14 years old 14 yeah wow and how old are you I am 14 years old 14 you're very tall how tall are you now 1173 they have to learn English because it's very important hello my name is V I'm 16 years old I'm from Siberia B um my High um
• 31:30 - 32:00 73 yeah um motels okay what's your favorite flavor of ice cream um I love all all of them yeah it's a good answer thank you very much nice to meet you nice me too what makes a good model in your opinion then first you have to be a businesswoman you have to be uh energetic with good attitude because without this you cannot make a great career because you can have a beautiful
• 32:00 - 32:30 face and great body but if you have nothing in in your head forget it about they want to take picture with you my modeling days are over but it's amazing how quickly it all comes rushing back everyone look at this camera worked it girl I worked it I worked it girl thank you very much I've um admittedly regressed a little
• 32:30 - 33:00 and I suddenly feel like I'm one of the girls and pose these girls are really investing in the dream six months of classes with all the expenses can cost more than two months local wages not to be really sort of out of order about it but you can see that there are some girls that probably won't make it just based on their height and their weight and their look and the people that really have
• 33:00 - 33:30 potential really do stand out and of the 5,000 models on Elite Stars books only 70 are working abroad so realistically out of all of these girls here who all really want this really want a career how many of them will be as fortunate as you to go abroad and have a career to be honest they have all good chance [Music]
• 33:30 - 34:00 the casting is being held later this afternoon hey via hello I met via yesterday but all I really know about her is that she likes ice cream hello I'm reie she lives with her single mom Natalia God you need so many layers it's so cold okay cold really yes this is cold you're telling me this isn't cold for me it's not cold it's no so this is your place this is really
• 34:00 - 34:30 cute where we um where we headed in here yeah okay you love a flower don't you yeah it's a one bedroom flat so via sleeps in the living room it's fav flower there's loads here look at all of these pictures what's this Elite Stars yeah it's my diplom and I have a title Miss Elite Stars Miss Elite Stars what's you won the crown St look at you
• 34:30 - 35:00 [Music] nice it's my first photo shoot were you nervous uh of course uh when I see camera I'm [Music] scared this isn't her first International casting but she's never been picked so everything is riding on this
• 35:00 - 35:30 [Music] one how do you go about it then but was a staple of Soviet Cuisine so I'm a little bit nervous so this is where I can't say no isn't it like hot
• 35:30 - 36:00 [Music] wheat you wouldn't have this with anything it's not tasty was you happy for her to try and make modeling her thing
• 36:00 - 36:30 I mean hearing all of that come from your daughter does that not scare you or worry you at all [Music] [Music] How likely to succeed are you what are
• 36:30 - 37:00 your [Music] chances I like that attitude that's the only attitude to have and that's good is failure even an option for you [Music] then the casting that could make or great via's dream is being held on the
• 37:00 - 37:30 22nd floor of a shopping [Music] mall I ought to be getting used to this by now but it's still surprising how young they are Anna's running the casting again and there's a new foreign Scout I haven't spoken to before I'm Reggie yes nice nice to meet what was your name sorry Le and where
• 37:30 - 38:00 you from L Paris you're from Paris right so are you casting specifically for Paris today yes the objective is more to find some will have the potential to appear uh in the shows like CH so you're saying that one of the girls or some of the girls in this room could walk a fashion with of course so what is the um the ideal for you today I mean um the the Asian market was specifically looking for someone with small frame and that height didn't matter as much what's uh what's your
• 38:00 - 38:30 criteria in no case if you want to appear the shows in in New York in London mil or Paris you need at least to be 177 okay that's a minimum High because you do you do first the dress and then you select the in fact Lionel's already found a girl he's interested [Music] in those pictures are incredible they're really impressive right you know where she has been before
• 38:30 - 39:00 Philippines Philippines yeah she started to work at 14 now she's 15 you never know that from these images unbel and this is the model place when you can transform it to any age any style excuse me what's your um what's your name area Hello nice to meet you do you speak English a little bit a little bit so on your first trip abroad did you work much or did you not get much work when you were
• 39:00 - 39:30 there so you make good money there yeah but with things going so well for you in the East um are you trying to set your sights on the west now is that why you come today to try and get picked up by uh by our man from par
• 39:30 - 40:00 so do you look at days like today as a competition or you're not even bothered about other people being here the competition's tough and I'm worried for Via it's her big moment and she looks so
• 40:00 - 40:30 nervous she's brand new yes the other girls seem to be getting a positive reaction but what about [Music] via via's casting seems to be over in a matter of minutes and it's time for a new batch of girls to step
• 40:30 - 41:00 up and how did it [Music] go 1 cm they yes that's pretty harsh criticism about just the one cm
• 41:00 - 41:30 why was you in [Music] hospital surely having a spinal problem isn't L Easier by being in hday well I'm not casting you take them off
• 41:30 - 42:00 get them off get them off you know it's really funny the minute you take your heels off suddenly you look like a a 16-year-old girl again suddenly your hair Falls in front of your face and you look younger okay all right [Music] via seems really upset and in a hurry to
• 42:00 - 42:30 get home I feel bad for her I know how hard she's tried the truth is around 90% of these girls won't get picked but that doesn't stop them [Music] trying reality show Siberia Next Top Model is just one of hundreds of
• 42:30 - 43:00 competitions held across Russia it has a prize of $1,000 and Ana the wannabe model i' met a few days ago is in the final the finals being held in a restaurant at the back of yet another shopping center anran the boss of Noah models has invited me to be a Jud how's it going guys how we doing you all right
• 43:00 - 43:30 looking [Music] good like the other 28 finalists Ana's made it through 12 knockout rounds to get [Music] here but this evening's about more than just winning this local contest the
• 43:30 - 44:00 international Scouts are here as well [Music] amazing but
• 44:00 - 44:30 number 18 seems to be cleaning up I picked her I'm getting good at this model scouting against the idol model [Music] Shan contracts are being handed out for work in Europe and Asia but there's nothing yet for Anna it's really interesting seeing it from this perspective he what they think they really know what they look for and it's tough and they have to be because
• 44:30 - 45:00 you know it's massive competition with the worldwide Mar they saved the best for last tan is looking for girls to go to [Music] America this could be Anna's big break a better life for her and her mom
• 45:00 - 45:30 [Applause] [Music] just seen the Golden Girl hey well done congratulations oh thank you so you're you're going to Los Angeles you're going to California oh yeah Ana hasn't just won a contract in America First she's going to Asia so
• 45:30 - 46:00 it's not just California it's India as well you're going to be going to two corners of the world off the back of a an evenings of competition I mean how are you feeling about all of this m Anna you've taken your shoes off is it that point in the night is it time to finally let your hair down well done congratulations well done and
• 46:00 - 46:30 congratulations to you too thank you thank you Anna is not the only winner excuse me sorry excuse me sorry to interrupt um I see you've got flowers did you did you win this evening you have I congratulations um what's the contract for where are you going China okay China Wow have you ever been to China before no and and how old are you 15 15 but there's a catch Kata needs to
• 46:30 - 47:00 persuade her mom and dad does the decision have to be made now do you have to decide literally this evening if she's going to China or not how would you feel about her being out there without you there to look after her are you are you worried I mean what is it is making you so so
• 47:00 - 47:30 emotional being faced with this Crossroad I mean how big a decision is it for you do you think mom and dad are going to say yes
• 47:30 - 48:00 maybe oh one word in English that's a good English word to use it's the perfect word for this [Music] moment the right and the wrong is just so blurred because both Avenues are the right one letting your daughter start this career is the right thing to do but also not letting your child your 15-year-old child go to China on their own is also the right thing to do I don't envy their decision and if it was
• 48:00 - 48:30 my kid I might say no as [Music] well I want to talk to someone who's been there done it and modeled the T-shirt Valeria was scouted when she was just 14 and traveled the world modeling for 12 years I was young you know I just wanted to be like every girl try new clothes wear all like you know the Cinderella
• 48:30 - 49:00 story you maybe you have this opportunity to be a princess do you have pictures of you at that age can I see this is this you yeah this this is being Westwood oh yeah so it is how old are you here yeah 14 wow God you are so young wow and this was in Japan as well and you're you're like 14 or 15 here did you have anyone looking after you no that's the thing you're alone in another mentality in another world with
• 49:00 - 49:30 no friends no parents and uh and you're a child and you're a child and if you go one cm more then uh um your contract is finished right when I was paranoid that I'm fat but I was not fat how much money were you making at that age um from 20 to 50,000 us per month you that's a lot of money you say it's so flippantly but that's a law yeah but you have tickets then flight per month you don't
• 49:30 - 50:00 understand what is the contract you don't have a lawyer all you have is 10% so you're making lot of money but you never get them some girls they don't know what to do and they put themselves in troubles what sort of troubles I mean they actually selling the girls for guys you know just to hang out with these guys and they paint the Bookers So Random men pay money to have young models just hang out with them yeah of course a lot of
• 50:00 - 50:30 girls they are they think that they are models but then they become a prostitution you know how often does that sort of thing happen well some girls because they're scared because people say I will not give you passport you will not go to your motherland you have to make money and you have to find the way to make money and is the reality real reality of this fashion industry St Petersburg Russia's second biggest
• 50:30 - 51:00 city and the home of Noah models it's 6:00 a.m. and I'm at the airport to meet Anna she's flying in to shoot the portfolio she'll need for her first contract abroad hey and surprise surprise katti has made it too good to see you how you doing hello hello hello where's your bags is that will you come with [Music]
• 51:00 - 51:30 on they've got a busy day in front of them so we're heading straight to the studio well for both of you this really could be the beginning of of a career what did you expect to come from this
• 51:30 - 52:00 [Music] up to 10 teenage models at a time can sleep here when they're starting their careers this is the biggest photo shoot of their lives and the work they get when they start abroad will depend on how good these shots are
• 52:00 - 52:30 [Music] begin seen next up is Kya [Music] and she looks incredibly
• 52:30 - 53:00 nervous I think reality is suddenly started to set [Music] in it's hard work for the girls this is their first proper Taste of the modeling business but I want to know if tan honestly thinks either of these girls can make it big overseas based on how much you know about these girls at the stage how
• 53:00 - 53:30 realistic is it for them to make it they can make it to certain markets now no not to every Market just how fair do you think it is that you know so many girls get taken on that don't necessarily have everything that it takes we we're giving them uh an opportunity in life to become someone to do something more important so would you do I mean what what would a girl do in Cross nework at best I mean think of it or or
• 53:30 - 54:00 in Nova cers you know finish uh High School go to college have a diploma and then do what go get a job for $500 a month marry someone at a very young age have a baby most likely get divorced this is this is what they're facing this that's the reality what they're facing what do you think the parents think about the role that the agency plays in adult parade the parents of course they want their children to be more
• 54:00 - 54:30 successful in life than they have been so they allow the girls to go to the west and you know become models we have to understand one thing that for a Russian to go abroad in general even as a tourist is a huge Advantage because they need visas literally to go anywhere so it's a great opportunity for their daughters and a great basis for a business like
• 54:30 - 55:00 T but one thing's for sure the girls seem absolutely determined to grab this opportunity with both hands model room how we doing girls you okay okay you all right how did you find today then has a day like today made you more excited or made you realize just how
• 55:00 - 55:30 much work you're about to get [Music] into good luck girls best of luck all right be good good luck all the girls need now are their visas be safe so they can start their contracts and new lives abroad
• 55:30 - 56:00 I can't say for certain whether they'll be one of the lucky ones who actually make decent money but at least they will experience a life outside of Siberia that they might not have otherwise I come from a place where there are so many opportunities I come from a place where I can be anything I want to be and I'm told that every day whereas here if you're a young girl this is one opportunity that takes you all over the world potentially and could make you very very wealthy and very
• 56:00 - 56:30 successful and yes it doesn't happen for everyone Ana and Kya might not end up getting careers but from what I've seen in my time in Siberia I can see why so many girls queue up to chase that modeling dream [Music] he
• 56:30 - 57:00 [Applause] [Music]