Since its release in 2006, the notorious spoof movie “Borat” has attracted flocks of tourists to Kazakhstan, Foreign Minister Erzhan Kazykhanov said on Monday.
“After the release of this film the number of visas Kazakhstan issues has increased tenfold. And this is a big victory for us,” Tengrinews news portal quoted as saying Kazykhanov.
One tourist firm has even organized a special ‘Borat-tour’ to Kazakhstan, he continued. “I salute 'Borat' for attracting tourists.”
“Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” is a 2006 mockumentary satirizing racial stereotypes that features British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen travelling across the United States pretending to be a Kazakh journalist. The film was banned in both Kazakhstan and Kuwait.
In late March, organizers of a shooting tournament in Kuwait confused a parody song from the movie for the anthem of Kazakhstan, local media said. Organizers found the anthem online, but did not realize they had come upon a spoof, head coach of Kazakhstan’s team, Anvar Yunusmetov, told Tengrinews.kz on Friday.
It was the second embarassing incident involving Kazakhstan’s anthem in a month. In early March, it was confused at a local ski tournament with “Livin’ La Vida Loca,” a Latino pop ditty by Ricky Martin, though the mistake was more obvious and was corrected within seconds.
