The release of Sasha Baron Cohen’s latest film has been met with mixed opinions, including the people of Kazakhstan. The former Soviet state of Kazakhstan has now officially, and remarkably, reversed its outlook on Sasha Baron Cohen’s Borat.
The shift in perspective is from one of outrage to one of recognising Borat as a tourism marketing asset.
A new series of adverts from Kazakhstan’s tourism board have now adopted Borat’s catchphrase “very nice”. The ads emphasise all that is nice about Kazakhstan.
Kairat Sadvakassov, deputy chairman of Kazakh Tourism, said in a statement: “Kazakhstan’s nature is very nice. Its food is very nice. And its people, despite Borat’s jokes to the contrary, are some of the nicest in the world.”
Although not everyone in Kazakhstan agrees with the deputy chairman, with over 100,000 people in the country signing a petition calling for the film to be banned after a trailer was released. Said trailer can be seen below.
Many people in Kazakhstan are still mindful of Cohen’s humour and not in a positive way.
The first film released in 2006 also caused outrage in Romania where an entire village said they were humiliated by the film. Residents complained that they were originally informed that their village would be filmed as part of a documentary on Borat’s upbringing and early years. The film then portrayed the village people as backward and criminal.
Now in 2020, some 14 years on, the Kazakhstan government and tourism board are thanking Cohen for a boost in tourism to the country.
Having not seen the second film perhaps we are being judgmental wondering why it would motivate anyone to visit Kazakhstan.
The film is previewed below, to help you make your own mind up.
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Hospitality & Catering News: Kazakhstan Tourism adopt Borat – 27 October 2020 – Kazakhstan Tourism adopt Borat.
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