Russia is just saying nyet to Borat.
Apparently, depictions of plough-pulling women, allegations of drinking fermented horse urine, engaging in casual incest and bragging about pubis exports fall a little too close to home for the former Soviet nation. Geographically speaking, anyway.
Russia's Federal Agency of Culture and Cinematography has banned the instant blockbuster from being released on its screens, claiming the film's content could be taken as offensive or deemed "disparaging" by certain religious or ethnic groups—specifically, to Kazakhs, a neighboring ally of the country and a large portion of their immigrant population.
Showing concern for the feelings of Kazakhstan? That puts Russia one up on Uzbekistan.
"There was some kind of explanation that the movie might create tension between races and nationalities because of its far from simple humor," Nikolai Vorunkov, a spokesperson for Gemini Films, the Russian distributor of 20th Century Fox, told reporters.
According to Yury Vasyuchnov, who works for the licensing agency, "the film contains material that some viewers may consider offensive to certain nationalities and religions."
A spokesperson for the Federal Agency of Culture and Cinematography—which is responsible for issuing licenses for films to be released in Russia—told British reporters that after Gemini Films approached them for advice, the staff viewed the film in private and then decided to ban the flick
The agency then informed Gemini Films via letter that it would not grant permission to show Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan in theaters.
Borat's exile is believed to be the first banning of a nonpornographic movie in Russia. The spoof documentary was originally teetering on a Nov. 30 release in the country, though officials at Gemini say the decision to keep Sacha Baron Cohen's alter ego out of theaters is not yet official and that it's possible—though increasingly unlikely—that Russians will be privy to Borat's U.S. road trip sometime in 2007.
In the meantime, Borat will have to make do with dominating the American box office landscape.
The highly anticipated movie debuted last Friday, living up to its buzz and then some. Despite costing only $18 million to make and debuting on a paltry 837 screens, the film hauled in $26.5 million and easily bested its box office rivals.