Borat spoof film banned in Russia

BBC ^ | 11/09/2006

[HarmlessLovableFuzzball]

Russia has banned the hit comedy film, Borat, which has been accused of poking fun at Moscow's neighbour and close ally Kazakhstan.

The film stars British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen as a spoof reporter on a trip to the US.

A senior official at Russia's culture ministry has told the BBC it will not provide a distribution licence.

The film has described as a "mockumentary" which follows Mr Cohen's travel across the US.

On the way, he has a series of real life encounters with unsuspecting Americans in which he makes the most outrageous, sexist, racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic comments.

'Not amused'

It has proved to be a big hit in the US and Europe, where it opened last weekend.

Some reviewers have described it as "hysterical" and "the funniest film of the year".

But there are others, not least the government of Kazakhstan who say it is deeply offensive.

One Kazakh diplomat says that the depiction of his country as violent, primitive and oppressive bears no resemblance to reality.

And it seems the Russian authorities are also not amused.

A culture ministry official in Moscow told the BBC it had refused to issue a distribution licence because the film could potentially humiliate different ethnic groups and religions.

The official would not give any further details, except to say the distributors had the right to appeal against the government's decision.

[edpc]

And it seems the Russian authorities are also not amused.

Right....because, usually, they're a lighthearted, humorous lot.

[pogo101]

Not so much.

[CaliPhant]

" the distributors had the right to appeal against the government's decision."

I'm sure that's going to go well.

[Rome2000]

The Russkies are terrified of thousands of Borat imitators running all over the place asking the populace why they drink so much vodka and refuse to bathe.

[GSlob]

"One Kazakh diplomat says that the depiction of his country as violent, primitive and oppressive bears no resemblance to reality."
You have recently visited the place for a few months. IIRC, from your first hand account the statement that the toilet paper is mostly unknown there even among the university teachers, proudly stands out. Thus on the "primitive" charge - guilty as charged, right?

[Aussie Dasher]

Of course, the Russians are well known for their outrageous sense of humour...

[elhombrelibre]

They'd rather be selling nuclear technology to Iran, and weapons to Iran and Syria.

[OldCorps]

good for them

[struwwelpeter]

They have toilet paper, except on the train, and all the other conveniences of the modern world ;-)

Here's what a friend has to say about Borat's movie:

"I know about Borat. I saw his unofficial site and movies in Yahoo. In my opinion it's a campany in front of KZ's chiefing in OSCE in 2009. Also I think our abroad opposition supports this campany. I am angry with our Minisrty of Foreign Affairs for weak protests against Sacha Baron Cohen."

Hmmm... I was suspicious about the timing of Borat's movie myself.

[Malsua]

Oh wowowow,we wow, the censors have determined that after a bit that the level of anti-semitism was wrong. After a complete re-edit, they determined it was just enough.

[GSlob]

Having toilet paper and knowing how to use it are two different things. I probably did not make myself clear. Decades ago a Kazakh group in the dorm was leaving yard long used strips strewn on the floor - that much I have seen myself.

[struwwelpeter]

When I was in a village in Siberia, they would take a dump in the outhouse, but place the used TP in a bucket by the bench to be burned.

Now THAT takes getting used to.

[antiRepublicrat]

Cute. Cohen has been doing this Borat bit for a long time. It's apparently modeled after a Russian doctor he once met.

BTW, nice nic. My kids love those stories, although they are a bit morbid.

[GSlob]

"Russians drink much less vodka than you think they do."
You might have a point. Venedikt Erofeev, "Moskva-Petushki", wrote that in drinking mere vodka, even from the bottleneck, there is nothing beyond spiritual languor. See his chapter on cocktails. In my time I, a teenager at the time, discovered the purification of wood paint [morilka spirtovaya, uzhgorodskogo khimzavoda] to a barely drinkable condition - and since the knowledge belongs to the people, within 2 months that morilka brand disappeared from all Moscow hardware stores. It was about 10 times cheaper than vodka. And do not forget the colognes.

[GSlob]

"The more they change, the more they remain the same." Check the voltairean French for the original text, and learn to look beyond appearances.

[Centurion2000]

Give it a month and the pirates will have the DVD available for about 50-60 Rubles on the streets of Moscow.

[A CA Guy]

Time for Russia to get sexy time.......NOT!