So maybe this is a stretch, but surely those who hold that Vedic civilization stems from nomadic people from Central Asia will accept that we desis therefore have a vestigial family tie with Borat, the absurd, allegedly Kazakh TV reporter who’s a creation of British comic Sacha Baron Cohen. As you may know, Borat’s movie, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, opens in a few weeks, after a rapturous welcome at the Toronto Film Festival and at various sneak previews.
The Borat character is quite brilliant, as you can see on any of the video clips here. Of course, if you were Kazakh you might not feel the same way. Unfortunately, Borat had to come from somewhere, and it seems that Kazakhstan drew the short straw. I feel bad for the Kazakhs; Borat tests their patience and sense of humor, and now, with the movie about to open in the US and Europe, the Kazakh government is highly agitated about the prospect that Borat will become their country’s global image. Here’s the spokesman of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry:
“We understand that Borat is a kind of satire, but it is just a pity that Mr Cohen chose Kazakhstan as the origin of his hero,” Mr Ashykbayev told The Times. “As far as I know, he has never been to Kazakhstan, although there have been efforts on the part of some people here to invite him so that he can see what our country is really like.” …
Mr Ashykbayev said that there were no plans to ban Borat from Kazakhstan. But he added: “I hope the companies responsible for screening this movie will show some responsibility and not show it.
“It is quite insulting to the people of Kazakhstan and it may create some accusations from the public against the Government for letting such things come to our country.”
That’s from an article today in The Times, which reports that the Kazakh government is bankrolling a film of its own, Nomad:
Set in the 18th century, Nomad tells the story of Mansur, a handsome warrior born to unite the Kazakh tribes and free them from the Jungar occupiers of western Mongolia.
Nomad will be distributed by the Weinstein brothers (of Miramax fame). The Scotsman has more, including some odd casting details:
The film opens with the divided Kazakh tribes failing to unite against the conquering Dzungars from western Mongolia. A mysterious Kazakh warrior, Oraz – played by Scott Lee – predicts the birth of a boy who will fulfil that role.
Alarmed by the prophesy, the Dzungars ambush a convoy carrying the newborn son of a local khan, who is believed to be the special child, and attempt to abduct him. The boy is rescued by Oraz, who agrees to bring him up and train him to be the leader of the future.
The up-and-coming commander, played by Mexican actor Kuno Becker, faces a series of challenges throughout the film, culminating in a duel involving a Dzungar warrior played by CSI star Mark Dacascos, who has kidnapped Oraz’s sweetheart, played by Kazakh actress, Ayanat Yesmagambetova. [Jay] Hernandez, who starred with Kirsten Dunst in the 2001 film Crazy/Beautiful, features as the young warrior’s father.
Well, at least the leading lady is Kazakh… Anyway, the timing of the film has nothing, nothing at all to do with Borat:
A spokesman for the Kazakh embassy in London said: “This film was not made because of Borat, but we do believe that we need to make people more aware of Kazakhstan. Most people had never heard of Kazakhstan before the 1990s, but the nation has a history and heritage which pre-dates Christ. I think that many people in the West now regard Borat as offensive and inappropriate and nothing to do with Kazakhstan.”
He added: “Negotiations are under way for the film to be shown in Western Europe, including here in the UK. We hope to have it shown in the next few months, which will be great. It shows the variety of natural scenery we have as well as the rich culture and history of Kazakhstan. If you’re looking for a comparison with a Western film then you could say it’s quite similar to Braveheart as a historical epic with spectacular scenes.”
Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev visits the United States this week, meeting President Bush on Friday at the White House after a visit to the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport. Lots of opportunities to discuss the spread of democracy with this staunch ally, who has run the place since Communist days and has outlawed the opposition and muzzled the press. Hey, if that doesn’t fill their time, the leaders can kick back and watch some movies.
Back in the 70s, the Turkish government was very upset when the film Midnight Express came out. I think the Indian government banned the movie in India at the Turkish envoy’s request.
I saw this movie almost 8-9 months ago, through one of those pre-screening giveaways on the 3rd street promeneade Santa Monica. The movie was hilarious, although nobody in the audience know who the guy was. I don’t understand why it took so long for the movie to be released.
Sacha Baron Cohen shall repent!!!!
Behold the powerful Kazakhstani propaganda machine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0rnohG1DL0
Siddhartha – Chenkuye for post. Do you think this Cohen is homosexual? I hear his manicurist is #4 prostitute in England.
I go now to play game of Shurik
Zindobre!
Poor Kazakhs.
Borat is their Apu.
i think the kazakhs should sue borat for wearing that green man-swimsuit-thong-whatever. not an image i want seared on my eyeballs.
i’m also not sure whether they should be insulted or pleased that so many people, even though they know they are being filmed, have no problems being extremely politically incorrect, anti-semitic, indulging in near illegal activities – guess they think kazakh tv, who cares? – in a way they would never be with other tv outlets. funny and disturbing at the same time.
Um, that seems a bit of a stretch, since Kazakhstan showed a lack of a sense of humor by warring with the Borat character well before the film was released (someone will have to back me up on this, but I seem to recall a hilarious media war between the Kazakh government and Borat for quite some time now).
All hail SBC- to me, he’s a more tolerable form of Andy Kaufman! 😉
You’re right Brim – here was Borat’s response bte
As one who was never offended by Apu, I really empathize with the Kazhaks on this one. I realize the value in using this outsider character to make social commentary, but it stopped being funny to me after the first several times. It’s not funny in the same way that jokes about poor people or disabled people aren’t funny. The ratio of juvenile-lowest-common-denominator-humour to insightful humour is much higher than I would prefer.
I’ll get off my high-horse now.
Yes the Kazakh government had waged a war against the Borat character originally from “Da Ali G Show“. This is hilarious!!
A piece of advice for the Kazakh government – Not many people know much about Kazakhistan, why not use this opportunity to satiate the curiosity generated by the Borat character? And be greatful to him and at least say thanks!
I’m at least glad the Kazakh government realized it was just a movie, unlike India in the past, and decided not to ban it outright.
Well, maybe Kazakh govt banning a movie doesn’t really affect the movie, whereas Indian govt banning a movie impacts the bottom line.
he heh good ol ali g..
“surely those who hold that Vedic civilization stems from nomadic people from Central Asia”…
was a “fact” propagated by British India rulers in order to justify their occupation and has no historiographical support.
By that token, there is nothing desi in either Borat nor in Sasha Baron Cohen.
Cohen’s ludicrous in-your-face antics are funny for all of 2 seconds.
A spokesman for the Kazakh embassy in London said: “This film was not made because of Borat, but we do believe that we need to make people more aware of Kazakhstan. Most people had never heard of Kazakhstan before the 1990s, but the nation has a history and heritage which pre-dates Christ. I think that many people in the West now regard Borat as offensive and inappropriate and nothing to do with Kazakhstan.”
I’m looking forward to this movie, but I also empathize with the Kazakhs. I outed myself as a mega-geek at dinner the other night by giving an impassioned speech about how what Kazakhstan is really famous for is the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Nobody knew what the hell I was talking about.
This movie is going to be banana’s.
I just saw the clip for the new Kal Penn movie “The Rise of Taj” the sequal to Van Wilder and altough I am not offended by him playing the sterotypical indian guy, I am offended by the huge pile of shi# this movie is going to be.
Oh god I have no idea how people tolerate Ali G. He gets on my nerves like nothing else. Can’t stand him. Only exception was the “I like to move it (move it)” song from Madagascar. That Indian accent was a riot!
Just curious… is kazakh the same as the cossack – the warrior tradition described so well in “quiet flows the don”?
btw – for the launch of the movie at the toronto film festival borat showed up in a donkey cart pulled by women in harnesses… then he said something about his donkey being in tow so he can get fresh fermented urine to drink. other little tidbit… the projector broke or something happened – and michael moore who was a projectionist boy in his salaaadh days, pitched in to help – there was some interesting exchange between borat and the audience at this point – all in character of course – and the movie had to be postponed…
i tried my level best to land the tix but :_( it was not to be.
It seems that white folks masquerading as ethnics is all the rage.
Janeofalltrades, tell me, you at least liked his interview with Jenna Jameson? 🙂
But seriously, the guy is an acquired taste, much like South Park or any of the other vital socio-political comedy series on television. His contribution towards establishing facts that we only had a sneaking suspicion of – such as ‘Some Oxford dons are biased against women enrolling in their Colleges’, ‘The dirty South is casually Anti-Semitic’, ‘Some feminists are windbags’,’The Fashion Police are spineless puppets of Big Media’ – with forthrightness, clarity and a preposterous lack of political or social correctness makes him one of the most influential people of our times.
But, if you want to see plain and simple fun, “I like to move it, move it!” is good too! Or you might want to consider watching his impression of a Camus-reading, bordeaux-chugging French F-1 racer in the otherwise unremarkable Talladega nights.
Greatest Borat moment ever:
A very well dressed black servant pours Borat a glass of wine.
Borat: “He is your slave?”
Man: “No no no”
Borat: “He is his slave?” (Borat points to the other man).
Man: “No no no, he is not a slave at all. We don’t have slaves here anymore.”
Borat: “Why you stop?”
Man: “Well it was a law that was passed. that they could no longer be used as slaves.” (pause) “…which is a good thing.”
Borat: “Yes.” (pause) “…but not so much for you.”
doubt it…the don flows through Ukraine…if i remember right…
my fav borat is when he goes to the dating service. “I like blonde… with plough experience… i like to shoot dog”
ah swear Sakshi, I had just brought out my dogeared copy of sholokhov’s masterpiece and was skimming through when i saw your note. the writing is really earthy and that’s what makes it remarkable. brothers k it is not. there’s the scene where the guy kills his father for having molested the daughter and the passage in which Bunchuk finds himself impotent to his wife and they have a little showdown – the guy claims himself dried up and the wife thinks he is cheating. And then he explains and it all dissolves into tenderness. And later Anna dies of the typhus, he expresses his grief by bellowing and stomping aroudn while the red guards watch. Anyhow… I just wiki’ed cossacks. Indeed they are the kazhakhs.. and their relationship with ukraine is not so good – the old land grab thing going on. i believe they were dispossessed. the don might have been part of it.
there may be more truth to borat than meets the eye. it seems to be they’re fairly earthy people. indeed when i read it, i was reminded of rural haryana-punjab – an area i’ve travelled through in state run buses – and some images resonate.
The funniest part about Borat is not his own jokes but the stuff he manages to make others say. Another segment of Ali G’s that I really love is Funkyzeit mit Brüno.
Cossacks – there was a cartoon on Doordarshan in the late eighties (Russian books and art made their way into India a lot in those times) by that name. They rode horses, had adventures etc etc in a medieval setting.
Kazakh and Cossack are not the same. Cossacks are Russians. The Russians have a tendency to look down upon the other ethnic groups in the former Soviet Union , e.g. Tatars, Caucasians,eetc.
But I find it a bit weird that some folks hate Apu but find this a riot. Considering that Kazakhstan is much less well-known than India.
Nice. Very Nice. I likey.
Borat is a brilliant character. Much like Bruno. From ‘Throw the Jew down the well so my country can be free’ to his ride with the Southern hunter and ‘do you shoot down blacks’ to Bruno exposing the homophobia of many, I think a lot of it is good social commentary as well as excellent humor.
Now I must crush you!
As long as you don’t make liquid explosion!
You don’t say!
I’m looking forward to this movie, but I also empathize with the Kazakhs. I outed myself as a mega-geek at dinner the other night by giving an impassioned speech about how what Kazakhstan is really famous for is the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Nobody knew what the hell I was talking about.
I think Borat is a fool. A fool like a king’s clown. I want to be Baikonur.
The name Baikonur is Kazakh for “wealthy brown”.
oh stop yarr. quite cerebralizing. it cant be that guilty a pleasure. there really cant be any social commentary on jokes involving the anoos.
And they don’t like being mistaken for one another. I know this from experience 🙁
“Cossacks are a group of several peoples living in the southern steppe regions of Eastern Europe and Asiatic Russia, famous for their self-reliance and military skill, particularly horsemanship. Cossack may also refer to a member of a Cossack military unit.” – from wikipedia
there were polish cossacks, tatar cossacks, etc..
they weren’t ethnic russian, but many lived in lands captured by russia..
hairy_d:
Yes, Sholokhov has been more often compared to Tolstoy than Dostoevsky (I could never finish brothers k, found it too consistently melodramatic, or maybe i don’t have the eye for that guy 🙁 ).
There seem to be two published versions of QFTD out there, one with an ‘and’ in front, and one without it. I do not know what the story is behind that, but I heard one of them was is censored by the evil empire. I read one of those stolid Soviet editions you could get for 15 bucks in India before the empire fell(depriving poor Indian families of their sole source of cheap good literature). So it might have been the censored one(QFTD).
Yes, true. Though Borak plays it too straight, though of course he is playing it for laughs. Rem the John Gardner quote, ‘there are only two stories. someone goes on a journey, and a stranger comes to town.’ Borak has both. Methinks there’s a lot more irony out there for him to explore.
eenteresting.. the rumour i had heard was that the book was plagiarized. sholokhov lived too privileged an existence to know what happened in the backwaters. then again – i’ve never read tolstoy, biggie D, chekov – i’ve just read the interpretations penned by a certain constance garnett – i felt i’d have got more out of (a)qftd had i read a version translated by garnett – but it wasnt to be – and i dont think mir publishers hired anyone of the caliber of cg. if you havent, do check out the local versions by garnett. i think you will detect the difference.
so is Ali G’s accent common? I mean it sounds lower middle class but what about the, I guess, carribean influence?
also, I’ll hafta c the move. wasn’t sasha sued by the kaz govt?
That’s interesting, I’d never heard of that. I just searched the wikipedia and it seems that the rumors were refuted:
“Sholokhov has been accused, by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn among others, of plagiarizing And Quiet Flows the Don. The evidence was largely circumstantial: Sholokhov’s age at the time of its composition and, in particular, the gulf in quality between his masterpiece and his other works. To complicate matters, Sholokhov could produce no rough drafts of Don, claiming that they had been destroyed by the Germans during World War II. A 1984 monograph by Geir Kjetsaa and others demonstrated through computer study that Sholokhov was indeed the likely author of Don. And in 1987, several thousand pages of notes and drafts of the work were discovered and authenticated.”
Thanks for the tip 🙂 .
Are you talking about the same Constance Garnett whose occasionally slapdash and decidedly Victorian approach to translation was so unceremoniously dismantled in a New Yorker article about two years ago?
Not that I would know–never read the woman–but word on the street is that she’s been supplanted and the new standard is the Pevear and Volokhonsky tag-team.
have read anna karenina by the duo you cite and i have to say i prefer the garnett version.
i dont know why new yorker shredded garnett – but her interpretation (a sense that is distinct from “translation”) appealed to me. i would be interested in the new yorker article though. do let us know if there’s a link out there.
Mr Kobayashi:
Have you read any of the Pevear-Volokhonsky translations?
I tried the Brothers K translation by the duo(never finished it, unfortunately), and it read pretty much like the one Mir publishers put out. So maybe the Russians had it right all along 😉 . Or maybe not, I don’t know much about translation.
Nope there isn’t.
Nope again. I’m only reporting the word on the street, but the article did praise them to the skies. Though I begin to wonder if the publisher had anything to do with what, on sober reflection, looks like a puff piece.
Oops. Identity migrated from another thread.
I must add that you omitted that the man Borat was talking to amended his answer (after being asked why slavery was abolished) with “…which is a good thing, for them” to which Borat immediately delivers his uproarious repartee: “but not so much for you.”
Sheer f*cking brillance. I can’t wait for the film.
Borat makes a visit to the White House:
The character Borat actually showed up the news protesting Khazakstan’s dictatorship. This is something I agree with; I mean, he’s different from Saddam, HOW?
Longtime lurker here. Can’t believe no ones blogged this. If you love Borat, you will love this. An Indian family traveling the US (a la Borat). Please somebody blog this! http://www.cbs.com/originals/papdits/
Great link CMF. I watched the episode on the site. Some of it is undoubtedly really funny but also kinda painful to watch… like Borat’s stuff. I’m curious what SM readers think of it: (especially those who approve of or are fans of Borat’s stuff). I think I now understand a little better why Dave Chapelle was so conflicted about continuing his show when he found some of his audience laughing for the wrong reasons.
This movie does not portray Kazakhstans as subhuman – the people are actually Carpathians and Jagshemash is a common Ukrainian/Polish greeting.
This is slav bashing is a time honored tradition going back to the 20’s with the Cambridge/Kremlin/Duranty/Hollywood crowd.
http://cybercossack.com/?p=526#comments