Borat Gets His Close-up
Borat Sagdiyev, the crude but lovable Kazakh alter ego of English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, is getting ready for the silver screen. This fall, the character, one of the three played by Cohen on his “Da Ali G Show,” will star in a feature film all his own. Trailers for the movie, which is snappily titled “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,” have begun making the rounds. And according to early reviews, the Jews — a frequent target of Borat’s brand of pseudo-primitivism — come in for some regular abuse. For one, Borat’s Kazakh hometown features a less-than-Hemingwayesque “Running of the Jews.” And, taking a page from the Mel Gibson handbook, Borat at one point eschews air travel lest “the Jews repeat their attack of 9/11.” The film, directed by Larry Charles (“Seinfeld,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm”), is set to open November 3.
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
