01 / Characters · 02 of 06
Borat
A television reporter from Kazakhstan whose good manners let real people say what they really thought.
2000 to 2006, and 2020
02 / Character file
Passport · Паспорт
Republic of Kazakhstan · Type P
- Full name
- Borat Margaret Sagdiyev
- Nationality
- Kazakh
- Place of birth
- The village of Kuzek, in what was then the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic
- Occupation
- Journalist for Kazakh television; sent to America by the Kazakh Ministry of Information to make a documentary; Global Ambassador for the Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
- Religion
- Pagan for the majority of his life. Follower of the hawk. Briefly converts to Pentecostalism after attending a church service in the States and in the process converts his entire village to Christianity.
- Ethnicity
- Kazakhstani
- Purpose
- Cultural learnings
- Family
- Asimbala Sagdiyev (mother), Boltok Sagdiyev (father), Natalya Sagdiyeva (sister), Bilo Sagdiyev (twin brother), Maryam Tulyakbay (mother-in-law), Nursultan Tulyakbay (half-brother), Oksana Sagdiyeva (half-sister and wife)
- Spouses
- Ludmilla Sagdiyeva, Oksana Sagdiyeva (died during the filming of Borat's documentary), Luenell, at least two more
- Children
- Bilak and Biram Sagdiyev (twin sons), Jeffrey Epstein Sagdiyev (son), Tutar Sagdiyeva (daughter)
P<KAZSAGDIYEV<<BORAT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
03 / The character
Borat is a cheerful, eager and spectacularly ill-informed reporter for Kazakh television, sent to America by the Kazakh Ministry of Information to make a documentary for the people back home. Everything about him is wrong, from the grey suit to the views, and he says it all with such warmth that the people he meets relax, agree, and reveal themselves.
The target
The prejudice ordinary people are willing to voice when they think they are talking to someone who shares it.
04 / History
Borat works as a mirror. Presented as a naive television reporter from Kazakhstan, he approaches Americans as a friendly foreigner who seems to share whatever view they hold. Many oblige, and say things on camera they would never say to a journalist.
The 2006 film became one of the most talked-about comedies of its decade and won a Golden Globe. Sacha Baron Cohen brought the character back once, in 2020, and has explained in his own words why he did it and why the grey suit is now locked away. Those statements are below.
05 / Key works
- 2000Da Ali G ShowChannel 4 and HBO. Borat's original segments.
- 2006Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan20th Century Fox. Golden Globe for Best Actor, Musical or Comedy. Academy Award nomination for Adapted Screenplay.
- 2020Borat Subsequent MoviefilmAmazon Studios. Golden Globe for Best Actor, Musical or Comedy. Two Academy Award nominations.
06 / The reel
Watch Borat
Trailer, 2020, Prime Video
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm official trailer
Amazon's official trailer for the sequel, released October 23, 2020 on Prime Video.
Trailer, 2021, Prime Video
Borat Supplemental Reportings official trailer
Trailer for the 2021 Prime Video special built from unused sequel footage.
Awards, 2021, Oscars
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Scene at The Academy
The Academy's nominee featurette; the film received two nominations at the 93rd Oscars.
Awards, 2021, Golden Globes
Sacha Baron Cohen wins Best Actor, Musical or Comedy, Golden Globes 2021
His acceptance at the 78th Golden Globes, where the film also won Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy.
Clip, 2020, Prime Video
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm trailer announcement
Borat's in-character teaser announcing the trailer.
Clip, 2020, Prime Video
Borat learns to golf
Official promotional clip.
Clip, 2020, Amazon Prime Video UK & IE
Borat learns about the dangers of the Democrats
Official scene clip from Amazon's UK channel.
Interview, 2020, Prime Video
Q&A with Borat (internet presentation)
In-character press Q&A released by Prime Video.
- Link, not an official channelhfpavideoWatch on the uploader's page
Awards, 2007, hfpavideo
Sacha Baron Cohen, Golden Globes 2007 (HFPA video)
Appears to be the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's legacy channel, but its official status could not be confirmed, so treat as link only unless verified.
Clip, 2006, Prime Video
Funniest pranks from Borat (2006)
Prime Video's official compilation of scenes from the 2006 film. 20th Century Studios has no upload of the original trailer.
- Link, not an official channelKlokline CinemaWatch on the uploader's page
Trailer, 2006, Klokline Cinema
Fan upload of the 20th Century Fox trailer; no official studio upload found, link only.
- Link, not an official channelsachaspainWatch on the uploader's page
Awards, 2005, sachaspain
Borat hosts the MTV Europe Music Awards 2005, Lisbon
Borat hosted the November 3, 2005 ceremony at Pavilhao Atlantico in Lisbon; Kazakhstan's foreign ministry objected publicly. No MTV upload found, fan upload, link only.
Official clips play here. Others open in a new tab.
07 / Sacha on Borat
Sacha on Borat
- DeadlineOn retiring Borat, at the Golden Globes
“The gray suit is locked up and not coming out again.”
Source: deadline.com
- VarietyOn why he brought Borat back, and why he is done
“I brought Borat out because of Trump. There was a purpose to this movie, and I don’t really see the purpose to doing it again. So yeah, he’s locked away in the cupboard.”
Source: variety.com
- The Irish Times (syndicated New York Times interview by Maureen Dowd)On what Borat was built to reveal
“In 2005, you needed a character like Borat who was misogynist, racist, anti-Semitic to get people to reveal their inner prejudices. Now those inner prejudices are overt. Racists are proud of being racists.”
Source: irishtimes.com