Whenever I mention that I am travelling to Kazakhstan I get a blank stare, that is until I say, "you know the movie Borat... that country"... although Borat was actually shot in Romania and doesn't have an inkling of relevance to Kazakhstan. It's entertaining to imagine how upset all those Kazakhs got over Sacha Baron Cohen's film. At least the country's 1st international spotlight was in a positive light, as absurd and 3rd world as it may have been portrayed.
Roman Vassilenko, the press secretary for the Embassy of Kazakhstan wanted to clear up a few misconceptions about his country: Women are not kept in cages. The national sport is not shooting a dog and then having a party. You cannot earn a living being a Gypsy catcher. Wine is not made from fermented horse urine. It is not customary for a man to grab another man’s khrum. “Khrum” is not the word for testicles.
One funny note from Vassilenko's interview is when he was asked about a Kazakh sport that travel guides mention called kokpar, a precursor of polo, he hesitated, then explained, “That’s the one where a goat, a dead goat”—a headless dead goat—“is, um, being held as a sort of a prize. And then one rider has it, and he has to run away with it from others who seek to catch it and snatch it from him.” And then they have a party.
the reason why i loved the film based on the character Borat, is because of Sasha's luminous ability to present satirical and sardonic ideas about the hegemony of different states and geopolitical and economic powers (Voltaire's Candide comes to mind, as he travels in the world) in a very funny and unoffensive way (the ideas, perhaps, not necessarily the presentation). The film has nothing to do with Kazakhstan, of course, or the fictional rituals and traditions, directly and indirectly hinted at in that marvelously sly comedy. Aside of being constantly asked, whether I am offended by the film, I always reply, why should I?! The film is about the ignorance, close-mindedness, certain obtuseness, and hostile superiority, that is often present in many societies and communities in general, though in this film, it is an American society, the biggest kid on the block, that gets the spanking. The film, by using the country Kazakhstan in a very witty way, lays out its premise as early as in the brilliant subtitle, Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Just from this title, it obvious that the film doesn't disparage the country Kazakhstan, but rather confirms one important thing (using America as an example), that our young country should take into consideration - the transformation of the republic, for better or for worse, in its search for identity after the independence, certainly shouldn't 100 % imitate the "American way". So, my question is to my American friends, were you offended by the movie Borat?...
ReplyDelete