'YOU ARE LIKE BRAVEHEART? PLAYED BY ANTI-JEW WARRIOR MELVIN GIBBONS?'
lecu ural ambassador
He comes from the land that has produced great artists, scientists, poets and scholars. Jay Richardson meets the most famous Kazakhstani in the world.
orat Sagdiyev strides into the room. leans down and kisses me on both cheeks. His suit is unwashed and has been since he left his job as a spermatozoa extractor of camel. And it smells like it too.
‘What‘.’ You are from Scotland‘." He beams and takes his stance for hurling rocks at a gypsy. which he can hit from 15 metres. or 1() if they are unchained. ‘I like a drink. I like a drink. I like a light! I am angry Scottish!’
‘You are like Brave/wart? Played by anti-Jew warrior Melvin Gibbons'."
He has come to the UK to promote his new film. Borar: Cultural [warnings of/lmeri't'a for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan and to try to meet ‘Welsh prostitute Charlotte Church. I hear she has the voice of an angel and the vagin [sic] of a horse! I like!‘
His documentary on America has attracted critical acclaim. even if the Kazakstan government were initially wary of its release.
‘At lirst my government was worried about the level of anti-Semitism in my movie film.‘ he concedes. ‘But they decided there was enough and allowed it to go ahead. It has been great success. released in all three cinemas in our nation. taking top spot from movie film King Kong. which has been number one movie in our country since it was released in 1933.
Travelling across the US obviously left an indelible impression.
‘My experiences have made me like America very much! We like now very much their music. I am a
huge fan of the singer Madonna. It is a credit to US and A that a transvestite can become so popular. In my country he would be in circus.
‘l was very surprised to see women drive cars. This could never happen in Kazakhstan - it is too dangerous. We say “to let woman drive car is like to let monkey fly plane". We do not allow this anymore since 2003 Astana air crash.
‘But since Tulyakev reforms. now women is allowed to travel on inside of bus. homosexuals no longer have to wear blue hats and the age of consent has been raised to 12 years old.‘
He offers advice on following in his footsteps.
‘To be a good journalist you must have experience of other jobs. My advice is you must get a god education. I was studying at university English and plague research. I created three new ones that we used in Uzbekistan to kill five million goals. I previously worked as an icemaker and gypsy catcher. Also I was in computer maintenance. I was the one who would paint outside and remove dead birds from the pipes.
‘Is this sufficient for you? I will have party in my hotel room afterwards where we will wrestle with no clothes. drink vodka and shoot dogs from the window. yes‘.’ You come please. And please you can come my house. eat my food and use my sister. Show me your finger. She is tight like this! linjoy!‘
Borat is on general release from Fri 3 Nov. See review, page 40.
Hit >l<
THE BEST FILM & DVD RELEASES
3 Man Push Cart Ramin Bahrani’s precious US indie about a Pakistani coffee vendor in post 9/11 New York finally gets a Scottish release. See review, page 41. GFT, Glasgow from Fri 10—Mon 13 Nov only. 1* Little Children Todd In the Bedroom Field’s masterful adaptation of Tom Perrotta's queasy novel about sex and paranoia in middle America. See review, page 42. Selected release from Fri 3 Nov.
7* Borat See interview, left and review page 40. General release from Fri 3 Nov.
* Red Road Andrea Arnold’s brilliant Glasgow-set thriller is still showing. Selected release. "3 The Page Turner Nicely understated French revenge drama set partly in the world of classical music. See review, page 41. Cineworld Benfrew Street, Glasgow 8 Cameo, Edinburgh from Fri 3 Nov.
* The Prestige Batman Begins director Christopher Nolan's near perfect adaptation of Christopher Priest’s novel about rival magicians. See review, page 42. General release from Fri 10 Nov.
3 Krisana Academic German filmmaker Fred Kelemen almost outdoes Bela Tarr with this austere and challenging psychological drama set in Riga, Latvia. See review, page 40. GFI', Glasgow on Wed 15 and Thu 76 Nov only.
3 Odd Man Out New print of Carol Reed’s brilliant 1947 terrorist drama. GFII Glasgow from Mon 6 & Tue 7 Nov only. #This Film is Not Yet Rated Kirby Dick’s funny but depressing expose of the hypocrisy of US screen censors. Fi/mhouse, Edinburgh from Fri 3—Thu 9 Nov only.
# Kekexili: Mountain Patrol Excellent, full-blooded eco adventure thriller set in China. Fi/mhouse, Edinburgh from Fri 10 Nov.
2—16 Nov 2006 THE LIST 39