Putin hosts dinner, meets Bush, fireworks

(31 May 2003)
1. Wide shot of car with the Indian flag
2. Mid shot Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee gets out of the car and slowly walks
3. Close up shot of British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife enter a palace
4. Wide shot of a round-date tea party by world leaders
5. Mid shot of Russian President Vladimir Putin and other foreign guests sit at the table
6. Mid shot of President of the United States, George W. Bush, talking with the Indian Prime Minister
7. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Vladimir Putin, President of Russia (translator speaks in English):
"I'm calling upon you to forget about everything. It is not too often you can spend time with your spouses, this is a chance to be together in a good place with good friends. Thanks for being with us today. To your health."
8. Mid shot of Putin clinking glasses with other guests, everybody stands up
9. Wide shot zoom in towards Peter's Palace
10. Mid shot of balcony with Putin and Bush with their wives standing there
11. Wide shot Peter's Palace
12. Wide shot of top officials walking down the staircase
13. Close up shot of Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and US Secretary of State Colin Powell
14. Wide shot the Bush couple and the Putin couple
15. Close up George W. Bush and his wife Laura
16. Wide shot the Russian and American First couples
17. Wide shot pan of the palace and the terrace
18. Mid shot of Bush and Putin with their interpreter
19. Wide shot of dancers enter the stage
20. Wide shot pan of fountains near the palace
21. Mid shot of dancers
22. Wide shot of dancers
23. Wide shot of fountains
24. Wide shot zoom out Peter's Palace
25. Wide shot dancers
26. Close up shot British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife
27. Wide shot pan fountains
28. Wide shot of dancers
29. Wide shot of fountains
30. Wide shot of balloons
31. Wide shot of fireworks
32. Wide shot of dancers
33. Wide shot of fountains
34. Wide shot Putin, Bush and their wives applauding
STORYLINE:
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, entertained his foreign guests on Saturday by inviting them over to Petrodvorets, a town on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, for a gala show by Russia's top performers to mark the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg.
Putin's popularity at home and abroad is expected to skyrocket as leaders of forty-five countries, including President George W. Bush of the United States, attended the celebrations in the Russian leader's hometown, often described as the country's second capital.
The town of Petrodvorets was nearly razed to the ground during the Second World War, and it took many decades to restore the beauty of its former imperial palaces and numerous fountains, which were in the centre of Saturday's performance.
The show ended with an impressive firework display over the former imperial palaces and the whole of St. Petersburg as tercentenary celebrations were drawing to a close.

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