My Brother, Borat

My Brother, Borat
Directed by	Erkin Rakishev
Screenplay by	Erkin Rakishev
Starring	Roman Khikalov
Country	Kazakhstan

My Brother, Borat is an upcoming Kazakh dark comedy film written and directed by Erkin Rakishev, as an unauthorised sequel to the 2006 film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, created by the director to address mis-conceptions of Kazakhstan as portrayed in the 2006 film.^[1][2][3] The film is stated for release early in 2011.^[4][5]

Synopsis

My Brother, Borat tells the story of John, an American journalist who, after watching the film Borat, decides to visit Kazakhstan. He ends up meeting Borat Sagdiyev's mentally ill younger brother Bilo. The two seek out Borat's fictional home village of Kusek and find it to be a modern and well-developed city in another country.

Background

Director Erkin Rakishev did not see the humour intended by the 2006 Borat film, and so decided to create My Brother, Borat as a counterbalance to correct the image of Kazakhstan as a backward country. He stated, "I think it crossed the line. Maybe they just wanted to joke, but they belittled, insulted and mixed us with dirt, they compared us to animals, showed us as barbarians and wild people".^[6] Rakishev explained that the Borat film offended the Kazakhstan government to the point of the film being banned in that country.^[7] In wishing to address the negative perceptions of Kazakhstan created in the original film, he developed My Brother, Borat as an "image-redressing movie".^[8] He began initial production on the film after Borat was released in 2006, and abandoned the project due to lack of financing, only recently being able to continue the project,^[2][4] with the assistance of Kazakhstan legislator Bekbolat Tleukhan.^[5]

Rakishev did shoot controversial scenes, such as one in which the character of Bilo is raped by a donkey and another where an old woman is beating the two main characters with a stick. In denying that such scenes would offend, Rakishev stated, "If it was Borat's brother who raped the donkey then perhaps it would be considered outrageous, but it is the other way round".^[6] The director explained that "he would not mind distributing the film in the United States, though there was the matter of possible copyright violation".^[2] He has stated that he would welcome a lawsuit, as it would both provide publicity and promote his vision of a proud Kazakhstan.^[4]

References

1. ^ Levy, Glen (November 25, 2010). "Life Imitates Art: Kazakhstan Director Shoots Oh-So-Genuine Borat Sequel". Time Magazine. http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/11/25/life-imitates-art-kazakhstan-director-shoots-oh-so-genuine-borat-sequel/. Retrieved 27 November 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Levy, Clifford J. (October 4, 2010). "Taking Revenge on ‘Borat,’ Amorous Donkey and All". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/world/europe/05kazakh.html. Retrieved 27 November 2010. 
3. ^ Narizhnaya, Khristina (October 25, 2010). "Production of unofficial Borat revenge sequel underway in Kazakhstan". New York Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/2010/10/25/2010-10-25_production_of_unofficial_borat_revenge_sequel_underway_in_kazakhstan.html. Retrieved 27 November 2010. 
4. ^ ^{a b c} staff (October 20, 2010). "Kazakh Filmmaker Begins Unofficial Borat Sequel". New York Observer. http://www.observer.com/2010/culture/kazakh-filmmaker-begins-unofficial-borat-sequel-will-most-likely-be-sued-video. Retrieved 27 November 2010. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "Borat's Return, Kazakh-Style". Radio Free Europe. September 13, 2010. http://www.rferl.org/content/Borats_Return_KazakhStyle/2156628.html. Retrieved 27 November 2010. 
6. ^ ^{a b} "Kazakhstan director shoots Borat sequel". BBC News. November 23, 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11811933. Retrieved 27 November 2010. 
7. ^ Myers, Steven Lee (September 27, 2006). "Kazakhstan laughs as its officials try to ban Borat". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/27/world/europe/27iht-borat.2952940.html. Retrieved 27 November 2010. 
8. ^ Andrews, Nigel (November 5, 2010). "Spooks, spoofs and the surfer’s selection". Financial Times. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/f4e2031c-e849-11df-8995-00144feab49a.html. Retrieved 27 November 2010. 

External links

• New York Magazine