AVI YEMINI ｜ The Yemini Report — Ep 26
Episode Stats
Words per Minute
163.1472
Summary
Benji has been with me for 7 years and has been a part of the Yamini Report team for 6 of those years. He's been with us through it all, and in this episode he shares his story of how he became the man behind the camera, and why he hasn't run away yet.
Transcript
00:00:00.440
Welcome back to the Yamini Report. You're tuned in to the free audio version of this episode, which is solid, but it's just a taste of the full experience.
00:00:10.420
Over at YaminiReport.com, the full video edition is ready for you, and it takes things to the next level.
00:00:17.780
Why not head there now and join Rebel News Plus?
00:00:20.940
Because for just $8 a month, you get access to the video version of this show, plus every Rebel program and documentary.
00:00:28.220
We're not backed by corporate sponsors or government cash. We're backed by you.
00:00:33.860
So if you believe in independent journalism, go to YaminiReport.com, sign up for Rebel News Plus, and be a part of the fight for truth.
00:00:46.380
Welcome back to the Yamini Report, and thank you for all the lovely wishes from last week's special about the passing of my grandmother.
00:00:56.200
I really appreciate it. I really feel like we're a family, with all the love I get here.
00:01:01.720
I guess I'm feeling a little bit sentimental, so I thought this week we'll do another special thing,
00:01:06.100
because you always see me on camera, but for the years that I have been working,
00:01:10.660
you rarely get to hear about the people, or the person, behind the camera who makes it all possible,
00:01:19.060
who does so much of the hard work and doesn't get much of the credit.
00:01:24.280
So today I thought we'll interview Benji, the cameraman, tell you about how we got going together,
00:01:32.280
and a bit about his story, and why he hasn't run away yet.
00:01:49.940
You told me this morning, are you sure we have to do it?
00:01:54.400
Yeah, yeah. Not looking forward to it, but I had to do what it's done,
00:02:02.180
Are you saying I forced you to join this, Benji?
00:02:07.100
Nah, I'm joking. That's not what you said on your text.
00:02:11.300
I'm trying to give you credit for all your hard work, because I think we get a lot of comments most of the time.
00:02:22.940
And I think it's because you've got this extremely heavy rig, and you get tired.
00:02:28.640
And so you end up putting it lower instead of lightening up your rig.
00:02:33.820
Nah, it is a way to prevent fatigue, but at the same time, it's a deliberate attempt to make you look taller,
00:02:43.880
in case you haven't noticed, with a low angle shot, and a very close-up.
00:02:49.880
I think the cat's out of the bag. I think everyone knows I'm short, so maybe we can do it straight now,
00:02:54.300
so people don't tell me that maybe your cameraman needs a break,
00:02:58.420
because I think people think that I'm working you too hard. Do you work too hard, Benji?
00:03:04.620
Sometimes. I mean, like, it's just literally you and me editing videos in Australia.
00:03:11.720
Like, I don't think people realise that Rebel Australia is actually no more than three people working here.
00:03:28.420
We can say his name. Daniel is great, and he does a lot of good work.
00:03:32.620
He does more of the website stuff, while you and me are a team in person.
00:03:43.220
We're usually both working, and you work extremely hard.
00:03:47.500
In fact, you're going to prep this after, ready to go on the show,
00:03:51.280
and then we've got plenty of other editing to go, so we're going to get straight into the story.
00:03:57.340
How did you end up? I know the story, obviously, because I was the other person involved in this story,
00:04:04.820
How it came to be that Benji has become my cameraman now for how many years is it?
00:04:17.120
I've been working with you long before you joined Rebel, back when you still were for TR News.
00:04:22.380
How did it happen? Tell people the original story, because it was such a fantastic story.
00:04:25.780
Well, I think, like most people, I started out as a fan.
00:04:31.360
I saw your content, especially when it comes to immigration, when it comes to youth crime from black African gangs in Melbourne.
00:04:41.140
I saw your content about calling these stuff out and wanting to address the issues in an environment where most people are woke
00:04:53.720
and are scared to touch on these issues because they're afraid of being called racist or all that type of stuff you're used to being called.
00:05:02.600
Nazi, racist, white supreme pizza, if you know what I mean.
00:05:09.300
Anyway, yeah, I saw your content and I like what you do.
00:05:13.080
So, like, I started, like, meeting you in person, like, attending some events that you organized, like, around the city in Melbourne.
00:05:22.440
And then, one day back in, and this was back in the 2019, when, like, the pro-democracy protests happened.
00:05:35.540
Even though I am born here, I am still proud Aussie first and then proud Hong Kong Chinese second.
00:05:44.140
So, like, I'm passionate about both issues, about, like, what's happening in Hong Kong because obviously it is where my parents came from and, like, I'm proud of, like, that background as well.
00:05:56.680
So, when that protest and that issue started happening, I tried to invite you to cover, like, some of the stories because I feel like you would be interested in this topic with Communist China trying to erode the freedoms of, like, Hong Kong.
00:06:19.820
So, I invited you, I think, I think, I think you saw my message, did you?
00:06:29.680
I may have, maybe that's how I got the information.
00:06:33.020
I tried to invite you to a pro-democracy protest in the State Library in Hong Kong.
00:06:38.880
Sorry, not in Hong Kong, in, in, here in Melbourne.
00:06:41.280
And then I, I made, I get to, I get to see what you do and, like, I like, I like the stuff that you do.
00:06:48.640
So, like, and at one point, I, I saw, like, you get, you got confronted by socialist Antifa in these, in this one Hong Kong protest, Hong Kong protest in Melbourne.
00:07:14.140
Yeah, I was going, I was going, I was going to say, yeah, the rest is history because, like, people can watch the video and, uh, judge about yourself.
00:07:24.280
Hold on, let's play, Benji, let's play the clip now.
00:07:27.140
How do you feel about the idea that socialists who side with communists want me who fights for freedom to leave?
00:07:39.720
Well, let's not forget, like, socialism lead to communism.
00:07:42.260
We're here in Melbourne CBD where, um, the local Hong Kong community are, uh, protesting as they are around the world for Hong Kong.
00:07:53.320
We just want everyone to know that we value democracy, like, true freedom, and we value Australian, like, values.
00:08:05.320
He's an extreme right-wing, like, Nazi, Nazi, Nazi.
00:08:12.460
He's well-known for being, like, extremely racist.
00:08:16.620
What are the Victorian Socialists doing here today?
00:08:27.820
I don't want- can you stop, like, coming towards me?
00:08:50.000
We're opposed to you, as a fascist, Zionist, being at a rally, who opposes the struggles
00:08:59.340
We're opposed to that, and we're opposed to you co-opting the movement in an anti-democratic
00:09:04.800
So, in the street protests, right now, in Hong Kong, everybody says that they support
00:09:19.500
How do you feel- do you- they want me to leave, the socialists want me to leave.
00:09:23.100
How do you feel about the idea that socialists, who side with communists, want me, who fights
00:09:35.080
Well, let's not forget, like, socialism leads to communism.
00:09:38.300
It's like, socialism is a precursor to communism.
00:09:41.180
So, yeah, I would never trust a socialist, never trust Bernie Sanders, yeah, anyone that
00:09:47.240
everyone wants to, like, force everyone to submit to a state and to live under, like,
00:10:07.580
Why don't we trade in the self-loathing, uh, Australians, socialists, like, pro-socialists,
00:10:14.560
supporting socialists, for the freedom-loving, hard-working Hong Kong people that have been
00:10:33.140
I do support, like, I support legal rights, like, in democracy in places, like-
00:10:47.880
So you're co-opting this rally to, like, further your, like, anti-Chinese, like, interests.
00:10:58.200
Further your, like, anti-Chinese, like, interests.
00:11:04.000
Further your, like, anti-Chinese, like, interests.
00:11:19.460
Yeah, he's all about individual liberty and all about free speech and all that stuff.
00:11:29.040
Hong Kongers will love every Western country in the world, man.
00:11:49.680
Still don't understand why the socialists, Victorian socialists are here.
00:11:53.240
I don't, which part of this, which part of the Hong Kong community supports Victorian socialism?
00:12:11.820
Possibly you sent me a message before and how I got there.
00:12:19.560
I think my best line in that video is when I talk, I joke about deporting the socialists,
00:12:28.660
trading him in for a freedom-loving Hong Konger.
00:12:32.160
I probably, like, should have been more prepared and polished in the way I speak.
00:12:39.100
There was a, you know, from my perspective, what I saw, you know, you had these two socialists,
00:12:45.320
which, like you articulated there, were essentially the precursors of the communism that they were
00:12:57.540
They were hijacking an issue and making themselves, giving themselves the leadership role and the spokesmanship
00:13:05.620
position of the Hong Kong community, which they certainly weren't, because after I'd started covering
00:13:12.960
more of these protests, in fact, I became quite well-known around the Hong Kong community.
00:13:18.880
Even when we went to Hong Kong, you know, it became crazy how well-known I became in Hong Kong
00:13:24.380
for confronting, questioning mainland Chinese students here on the streets of Melbourne.
00:13:32.040
And all of that was because of you, and it was incredible, because you had these socialists
00:13:35.600
trying to kick me out, and here there was a proud Australian Hong Konger wrapped in an
00:13:40.820
Australian flag, just basically saying, no, if we have to pick a side here, it's definitely
00:13:51.660
And we definitely stayed, and from there, we went on to, you started, I think you told
00:13:58.560
me you were an aspiring or you were studying photography, and...
00:14:05.500
Actually, I wasn't originally wanting to be a filmmaker, a photographer as a career.
00:14:18.420
When I played guitar, I have like, in fact, I got a couple of instruments right behind
00:14:27.620
I actually haven't touched my guitar for a while, ever since, like, I had surgery on
00:14:34.260
And also, like, obviously, I got this new job working for you.
00:14:39.360
So, like, my skills as a musician is no longer required, but I still keep also my guitars
00:14:44.280
as a sentimental reminder of, like, what I used to be passionate about.
00:14:48.600
And I can add, as well, like, the main reason why I kind of started working for you full-time
00:14:58.580
is because, like, I used to be a musician during, studying music in TAFE during the lockdowns,
00:15:09.760
And, like, most of my peers in my class, we got affected the most during, like, the lockdowns
00:15:18.040
because we were musicians and we needed to be together to rehearse and, like, perform
00:15:31.160
So, it was a very shitty experience, but then I got you along, and, like, I met you, and
00:15:41.800
then I already, and I do have, like, a hobby and a set of skills with the camera, and, like,
00:15:53.920
so when, when I met you and then started wanting to work for you because, obviously, I'm an
00:16:04.880
I'm passionate about, like, many of these political issues, so, like, and I'm good with
00:16:09.000
the camera, so I wanted to, I decided I wanted to film for you and to, like, do it as a sidekick.
00:16:17.580
You did, you did, yeah, so in the beginning, before COVID, I think even, even when we went
00:16:21.980
to Hong Kong in 2009, you did hold the camera a couple of times, you were, you were kind
00:16:27.680
I thought in the beginning you were also playing with photography, but maybe I was wrong.
00:16:35.860
Yeah, so there was something about photography then, and you did a couple of small gigs, and
00:16:41.080
then I signed on to Rebel at the beginning of COVID on the 3rd of September, I think, of
00:16:46.900
2020, so, um, that's five years ago, and I think, uh, shortly after that, because until
00:16:57.260
that point, you were kind of working casually for me every time I needed somebody, um, while
00:17:04.900
I was with TR and all that, and then once I moved to Rebel, we essentially, pretty soon
00:17:10.880
after, by memory, you'd come on full-time, is that right?
00:17:15.480
Yeah, it's because, like, uh, I, I thought that, like, my musical career was derailed during
00:17:23.200
lockdown, during COVID, and the vaccine mandates, so, like, uh, and, so, like, uh, it was a shitty
00:17:31.140
experience back then, so, like, I feel like the time is, is, is the time to move on to a
00:17:37.000
different career, one that I'm also passionate, and, like, uh, one that I also enjoy, which
00:17:41.840
is videography and photography, camera work, etc., and that's why, uh, and that's how I
00:17:47.900
became your full-time, uh, cameraman and editor, and, like, I feel like the one of the main
00:17:52.660
reasons is because I also, I'm also a guy that is interested in tech, camera tech, I do a
00:17:58.420
bit of filming of myself playing guitar when I was a kid, so I know how to edit videos, and
00:18:02.960
I'm good with, uh, camera work, and, like, uh, I'm, I'm also interested in, like, uh, many
00:18:09.840
of the latest technologies in film, filmmaking, mainly, uh, 360 camera right next to me, and,
00:18:19.920
like, uh, I, like, once I discovered this tech, I knew that it would be very useful for this
00:18:27.180
line of work in journalism, and I remember someone once told me, uh, I can't remember
00:18:33.940
who, but, like, uh, I knew it was right after I mentioned I'm working as a journalist, I remember
00:18:40.480
he told me, if you master and, uh, get used to many of the most recent and most latest
00:18:47.940
technologies in filmmaking, you'll be valuable to your company one day.
00:18:52.580
Yeah, well, you've grown with it, because if people look back at, you know, anything that
00:18:58.840
was filmed, you know, since, uh, TR day, so any, any of my, most of my videos, especially
00:19:05.920
on the street, since, um, you know, late 2019, was most likely you who filmed it, and if you
00:19:13.940
look, if people just go look at the quality and the style changes through the period, so
00:19:19.880
look at one video every six months, and you'll see the progression into what we have today,
00:19:25.720
and, of course, you, you've, almost every dollar you make, you go and invest in other equipment,
00:19:32.320
and I come back every time to work, and suddenly you've got all these other devices, and you've
00:19:36.660
got different devices for sit-down interviews, you've got different, um, equipment that you
00:19:40.940
use for the streets, so you've got, like, a whole rig and set-up for when we go to the street,
00:19:45.880
where it's going to be slightly, potentially more dangerous, and, and you've got to be, uh, more,
00:19:52.520
uh, uh, uh, you, you've got to be able to move around and run around fast, and it's got to be
00:19:56.480
strong enough that if somebody hits it, as opposed to when you have the set-ups, you know, when we
00:20:00.460
sit, do a sit-down interview, you've got a whole set-up for that, you've really invested everything
00:20:05.640
in it, but do you, do you feel like, and look, and look at what's happening with, yeah, yeah,
00:20:10.760
I was gonna say, yeah, I'm proud of, were you happy that you moved from music, do you regret
00:20:17.000
that, do you regret that you were forced, essentially, by the government to move from music into, into
00:20:23.700
photography, or are you happy doing photography?
00:20:25.960
Uh, nah, I'm not, I, I'm not, I, I'm not, um, I don't regret, like, uh, moving, uh, from one
00:20:35.880
career to another career, I'm actually grateful for this, this new opportunity that, uh, Rebel
00:20:41.080
has given me, like, uh, the music career is, I'm, I still love it, I still pick, I actually
00:20:47.880
still pick it up, pick, uh, my guitar from here and there, but, like, uh, I wasn't, I'm probably
00:20:54.520
not as devoted as, like, uh, playing guitar as I used to do, but, like, uh, yeah, I, I
00:21:00.360
definitely, like, uh, I'm proud of, like, uh, the work that I do for Rebel and, like, uh,
00:21:05.640
this new career that I, I, I've chosen and, like, uh, yeah.
00:21:12.120
Tell me now, in the, sorry, in the, what is it, six, in the five years since you've been
00:21:16.840
with Rebel, we've done a lot of, a lot of, whether it was the COVID and, or even when we
00:21:24.280
went to Hong Kong, uh, or we were in Hong Kong, I think that was, I don't know.
00:21:30.360
Then Israel, then there's a bunch of, you know, some of them more crazy than others.
00:21:35.080
What was your favourite, the World Economic Forum, we've done a couple of times, what
00:21:40.440
has been, I guess, your favourite trip, like, as in, what do you, do you feel, what was your
00:21:49.960
favourite and why? And then on top of that, um, what was your single favourite video we ever did?
00:21:57.480
The highlight of my moment, innit? Yeah, uh, it's definitely some of the more intense and
00:22:03.880
more action-packed events that I go to is my favourite. Yeah, if I had to narrow it down,
00:22:10.920
it has to be something during lockdown. I'd say it has to be, like, uh, outside of the CFMU
00:22:16.760
headquarter, right? Oh, that day, that was intense, yeah. When there is like, um, like,
00:22:21.880
that was your favourite, that was your favourite, um, day of journalism. What was your favourite
00:22:29.640
trip and what, um, what was that your favourite, just because of the intensity? Yeah, it's because
00:22:35.240
of the intensity and like, uh, like I said. Most people think you're crazy. I like, I love going
00:22:40.760
into action and yes, I am a bit crazy because like, uh, I can be crazy. Um, yeah, I remember
00:22:49.640
there's one, there's one video that I'll never forget when the, um, when we're at one of the
00:22:53.800
COVID protests at the parliament stairs and, and the, the protesters had breached the police line
00:23:01.080
and the police were going nuts, trying to control the crowd. And what did you do when the cop hit your
00:23:06.360
camera? Oh, mate. I loosed it. I lost myself at him. And I had to stop you. I was like, Benji, Benji, Benji.
00:23:14.920
Um, because, uh, obviously we were there, but I honestly, I always laugh. Honestly, I, I honestly
00:23:20.760
would have two-footed him if you wouldn't, uh, conned me down, but I feel like that would be, uh,
00:23:27.240
Yeah, well, you'd probably be, they probably would have used that as an excuse to beat you up
00:23:31.800
and we wouldn't have been able to cover the event. But I, I always, uh, think about that moment where
00:23:36.600
you see him push the, you know, this cop pushing your camera unfairly targeting it. He was just
00:23:43.160
angry, frustrated. And now, and that was, and that was the time where I started, that was the time where
00:23:48.600
I started using 360s. So like, uh, they probably wouldn't have known I would have caught that.
00:23:55.000
But I feel like now, now these days, not only everybody from the mainstream media
00:24:01.720
use like a wide angle camera, it doesn't have to be a 360. Most of the mainstream media,
00:24:05.880
they now they're using, they're using, I was going to say to you, and they've all copied.
00:24:12.280
And they all would see us out there with your 360 up there. Now I've noticed,
00:24:16.760
like I was watching a current affair the other night, you can, you can probably put it over this.
00:24:21.400
You can see where the, it's, it was the story of where they were doorstepping this, um, uh, refugee.
00:24:30.040
I think he was an Iraqi refugee who had raped a girl and they kept taking wide shots. And then I,
00:24:37.320
I just out of interest because I know that you were the one that started this trend
00:24:41.720
and which they used to all see at the COVID protests. And when, when you saw the, the wide
00:24:47.640
shot from the camera, you could see that they've mounted a GoPro on the mic down, which is their
00:24:54.040
form of giving them that 360 effect, that wide angle of the whole shot. Everyone's doing that
00:25:00.680
because that was your idea. When we're in middle of all the action, you just, we, we kept missing
00:25:06.920
little things, you know, somebody coming from the side of hitting, including that comp.
00:25:11.720
How does it feel now looking back and seeing everyone copying your techniques?
00:25:16.600
It kind of, yeah, I feel like, like, uh, you just gotta like a take advantage with the,
00:25:23.800
the most latest tech, uh, that's available. Like you even see like in protests now in these days,
00:25:28.600
you've got individual, the activists using 360s to like, uh, film everything and film themselves.
00:25:37.000
Like if they get attacked, where is this from? Yeah. Where is this from the left or right?
00:25:41.480
Everybody's doing because there's like, it is, it is so like, uh, effective at like, uh,
00:25:47.720
recording everything is literally a, a, a bird's eye view of the entire surrounding. And like, uh,
00:25:56.360
you, you say that and like, uh, it makes me, it makes me think, it makes me feel like I,
00:26:01.720
I, why didn't I do this sooner? Why didn't I have a free 16 when you first get arrested? Uh,
00:26:07.720
next in the first COVID lockdowns, you know what I'm talking about?
00:26:13.320
What? It was somewhere in, uh, next to Taylor Lake, I think.
00:26:18.680
Yeah. That was the, that was the first time where I realized.
00:26:21.480
But that's what I'm saying to people that can go back and look and see in each video,
00:26:26.440
the technology, the skill, um, but very much the technology you invested, not you invested in,
00:26:33.400
in your skill by practicing, but also the technology, um, like 360s. And we've had,
00:26:40.440
we've gone through a couple of them like drones, but also just the lenses, the style of camera,
00:26:44.440
you have one for the street, you have one for indoor. Mate, you're, you've, you've grown as a
00:26:48.920
professional cameraman, but who, who, who cares about, um, um, his shot and cares about his work.
00:26:57.240
And as a journalist, um, but yeah, you're going to tell me what your favorite trip was. What was
00:27:05.000
It has to be Israel. It has to be the trip to Israel.
00:27:07.480
So October, uh, just after October 7th, when we went there and, and we were literally running away from bombs.
00:27:13.000
It was like a, the Korea defining moment because like, uh, went to a war zone, obviously,
00:27:19.960
and like, uh, been shot at rockets with you. And like, uh,
00:27:25.720
And it's not like how it is now. It was, it was in the beginning of, of, of the war. So it was like,
00:27:32.440
you remember that night we were driving in the Tesla and then they pulled the guns on us
00:27:36.680
because we were driving down a street. We shouldn't have been going.
00:27:39.640
It was just, but, but half, but half of the half of the time, I wasn't even
00:27:44.520
sure what was going on. Cause I don't understand Hebrew man.
00:27:51.080
Half the time I didn't understand what was going on.
00:27:54.120
Okay. But like, but the thing is like, uh, I'm the only civilian. I'm the only civilian in,
00:28:01.160
in our group when we're in Israel, we have you, we have, uh, that other Aussie dude.
00:28:06.120
I forgot his name. Will y'all are both. Yeah. We y'all are both veterans. You've seen combat.
00:28:11.640
You've have operational like, uh, experience. I'm an outsider to you basically. And like, uh,
00:28:19.480
half of the time. So half of the time, I don't, I wouldn't, I wouldn't have known what to do
00:28:25.960
to, uh, keep myself safe, but like, uh, but I guess like, uh, most of the time it is, uh,
00:28:33.480
I do have common sense and like, uh, you do use that to like, uh, to, to like, uh, keep yourself
00:28:40.680
safe in those types of, uh, situation. But yeah, it is an experience. It is like, uh, an experience
00:28:47.320
that like, uh, a high accurate, high and emoting highlighting moment in my resume. If you know
00:28:53.480
what I mean? Now, um, I know a lot of people are going to be asking, why does he have a British accent?
00:29:01.320
Oh, it's because I also like, I enjoy watching, uh, Tommy Robinson when I was a kid. In fact,
00:29:06.600
I found, I found out like a, who you are from Tommy Robinson. So you're a Tommy fan. That's how you got
00:29:14.120
to me. Yeah. You're a Melbourne boy. That was a Tommy fan. And that's how you found me.
00:29:20.840
Yeah, exactly. And like, uh, I did grow up, um, I did grew up watching a lot of English movies and
00:29:27.960
shows. So like, uh, I watch a lot of American movies, but you don't see me speaking with an American
00:29:32.920
accent. And, and this is not something, this is something that you do full time. And we laugh
00:29:37.880
about because even when we went to England together, you were speaking, um, with an English
00:29:44.040
attempting to speak in a Birmingham accent, man. And they were all laughing. They're like,
00:29:50.200
this guy's more, more English than me. What's going on? Well, you can't, you can't go to a country and
00:29:58.200
not like a border learning the language in that country. You know what I mean? Like I,
00:30:04.280
even when I was in Switzerland with you, I tried to speak a bit of Swiss, uh, German to the locals
00:30:10.680
when I'm interacting because in my experience, yeah. When you, uh, don't even attempt to speak
00:30:17.960
their language when you're a tourist entering somebody's country, the people would, people there
00:30:24.360
would treat you like shit. If you know what I mean? Cause like, uh, but why are you speaking
00:30:27.800
in an English accent here? Uh, why didn't you attempt an Australian accent? Uh, because I can do it.
00:30:39.320
Listen, uh, we, we, we love and appreciate you at rebel, uh, with or without your pommy accent.
00:30:46.760
Uh, we're still trying to work out why, but it's your, your, your work speaks, your work speaks
00:30:53.800
for itself, uh, with an Australian accent. Um, now finally, before we wrap this up today,
00:31:00.600
I just want to know now for probably four years, Rookshan has been trying to take your job.
00:31:09.080
Yeah. What have you done to keep your job away from Rookshan?
00:31:12.760
Rookshan. It has to be because like, uh, I'm, I am better, I'm a better cinematographer than Rookshan
00:31:18.840
because I, I, I actually make my shot look interesting. Like, uh, from the low angle shot,
00:31:26.760
from the very wide angle shot. We don't like the low angle shot. No one likes the low angle shot.
00:31:30.440
Don't use that one as your defense. That's the, that's the reason why we like Rookshan. No low,
00:31:35.000
low angle shots, but we like your shots generally minus the low angle shots. You are a better
00:31:40.360
photographer than Rookshan. I'll go on the record. You've got more experience and now you've been
00:31:44.840
to war zones that Rookshan's never done. And also like, uh, the thing is like, uh, I feel like also
00:31:51.960
run towards the danger when I see it. Like, uh, I don't know about you, but if you know if Rookshan
00:31:58.280
or some other people that I've seen online, uh, whenever they seek confrontation, like, like, like when
00:32:04.120
people get arrested, they run away. He doesn't, he doesn't go straight to it and capture it. I
00:32:10.920
remember when you tell me when I first work with you, like, uh, uh, you said, make sure to film
00:32:17.240
everything. Even if I got stabbed in the neck, I want you to film it. That's your words. Film it.
00:32:24.440
I want you to film the blood squirting off my neck and me dying on the floor. That's what I
00:32:29.800
I think it's something on the line. I may be paraphrasing, but you, I, I remember you've
00:32:34.600
said that to me before and I took it literally. So you're telling me if I got stabbed in the neck
00:32:39.880
at one of these protests, you would just stand back and film because I told you to do that.
00:32:46.280
That's my job, isn't it? A hundred percent Benji. Benji, I know you didn't want to do this
00:32:51.800
interview. I'm sure. I'm sure you have. Yeah. Sorry. Go on. No, no, go on. I'm sure I'll have what?
00:32:57.880
I'm sure like, uh, uh, when you're, whenever you got, uh, bashed or stabbed in a protest,
00:33:04.840
you have Daniel, uh, Jones, the security guard with you. Yeah. That's his job. You're right.
00:33:10.120
You're right. Listen, I'm, I'm just, I was just testing you. Um, I want to say on behalf of all
00:33:16.520
the viewers, thank you firstly for doing this interview, even though you didn't really want
00:33:21.320
to do it because this gives people an insight into the people behind the camera and the team
00:33:27.640
that's on the ground and the person that's really the person behind it all. And then on top of it,
00:33:33.560
thank you for your work, everybody. I know watching this is going to appreciate it knowing how hard
00:33:40.600
you work. So thank you. I really appreciate it, man. Thanks for having me again.