Kazahh president fumes over movie

Sacha Baron Cohen's character Borat is to be the subject of high-level talks between George Bush and the president of Kazakhstan.

The country’s government has long been furious with the spoof television presenter, who portrays Kazakhstan as a backward nation of Jew-hating, wife-beating drunks.

And now his movie has premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, the Kazakhs have launched a publicity campaign to overturn that image. As well as TV adverts and leaflets in America, President Nursultan Nazarbayev is set to raise the issue at a presidential meeting at the White House.

A spokesman for the Kazakh government, confirmed he would be raising the issue with President Bush.

He said: ‘Nursultan Nazarbayev has taken Mr Bush up on an invitation to visit this country to help build our relationship with the USA. I cannot speak for the president himself, only for the government, but I certainly don't think President Nazarbayev and Mr Bush will share a joke about the film.

‘We understand that Mr Cohen has a right to freedom of speech, [but] the Government has expressed its displeasure about Borat's representation of our country. Our opinion of the character has not changed.

 ‘The bottom line is we want people to know that he does not represent the true people of Kazakhstan.’

The Kazakh government has previously threatened Baron Cohen, and his borat.kz Kazakh-based website was closed down over his portrayal of the national culture.

Baron Cohen replied in character, saying: ‘I have no connection with Mr Cohen and fully support my Government's decision to sue this Jew.

‘Since the 2003 Tuleyakiv reforms, Kazakhstan is as civilized as any other country in the world.Women can now travel on inside of bus, homosexuals no longer have to wear blue hats, and age of consent has been raised to eight years old.’

Published: 13 Sep 2006