The Art Snob Archive

Kazakhstan - Nov 3 2006

Dear readers, there has been an extraordinary amount of publicity lately surrounding the release of a low-budget documentary on the Eurasian country of Kazakhstan. It seems strange that such an obscure production sponsored by the Kazakhstani Ministry of Information would gain any credence in the West, but somehow the film, entitled “Cultural Learnings of America,” is scheduled for nationwide release this Friday, an honour rarely awarded to foreign films in an age of Kevin Federlines and Laguna Beaches.

I am quite baffled by all of this, to say the least. To think that David Letterman would have as his lead guest the Kazakh journalist who spearheaded the project, a Mr. Borat Sagdiyev, is quite a fantastic event.

I suppose I owe all of you, the unwashed masses, an apology. With all the xenophobia and discrimination circulating in our society, I admit I never thought it quite possible that there could be such enthusiastic interest in a foreign culture that is so different from our own in the West. The fact that we can reach out past stereotypes and cultural bias and appreciate the work of the Kazakh people as equal to the new James Bond movie brings a tear to my eye. This is exactly the type of cosmopolitan attitude we arts snobs have always tried to promote! Bravo, friends!

Let it be said, though, that we art snobs have always been attracted to Kazakhstan, even before it was fashionable. We’ve always regarded this former Soviet state, this jewel of Central Asia, as a cultural hub akin to Paris and New York, with Kazakh cultural contributions stretching back as far as…well, a very long time.

Certainly, one cannot be considered a true intellectual unless he or she is familiar with the pan-Central Asian poetry of Olzhas Suleymenov, and anyone who does not recognize the importance of the surrealist Erbolat Toulepbai to the development of Kazakh modernism is, undoubtedly, a buffoon. We art snobs will also understand that Cultural Learnings is only part of a long tradition of Kazakh film that includes the work of celebrated director Said Atabekov.

It is very gratifying to see that, at last, some attention is being paid to this very special group of people.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan has been struggling to undo the “Russification” of its culture that occurred under Communist occupation, and no doubt Cultural Learnings will act as a testament to the national spirit and determination of the country’s people. The world will finally get to see how Kazakhstan has been able to escape the anti-Semitic and misogynistic attitudes entrenched under Soviet rule, emerging on the world stage as a modern, cultural entity of its own.

From what I have heard, Borat Sagdiyev seems like a wonderfully genial transmitter of the Kazakh national cause. He is friendly and polite, always smiling, and a talented disco dancer. Earlier this week, he accompanied Beck onstage during his performance on the David Letterman show, playing along with the berimbau, a traditional wooden instrument. His indie cred, thus, is quite high.

I have high hopes for Borat’s career and the success of Cultural Learnings of America. Hopefully it will promote a wider appreciation for the customs, habits, and heritage that makes Kazakhstan such a wonderful country. I encourage you all to go see it! Tell your friends! This is a wonderful step our society is taking! Come all together, towards a glorious future!

posted by HLL @ Friday, November 03, 2006