Kazakhstan is making a historical drama to end all Borat jokes
In Kazakhstan, the film Borat has a lot to answer for. Despite the country being flush with oil money and possessing a rich cultural history, most people abroad associate it with mankinis and potassium.
But no more, a new television series is being made that dramatizes the creation of the Kazakh state more than 500 years ago. Despite some slightly dodgy stuntwork, a trailer for the 10-episode series, dubbed Kazakh Khanate, looks seriously impressive.
The series dramatises the tumultuous events leading up to the creation of the first Kazakh khanate in 1465 amid the collapse of the Mongolian-ruled Golden Horde empire – events interpreted in modern-day Kazakhstan as laying the foundations for today’s independent state.
“Remember when Putin declared that Kazakhstan was a country that had no history? It spurred us on,” says Arman Asenov, the producer.
Due to an economic crisis, public funds are now covering only three-quarters of the 2bn tenge (around $5.5m) budget, leaving them scrambling to make up the shortfall through private investment and crowd-funding. The 10-part historical epic is being made by acclaimed director Rustem Abdrashev.
The series recounts how two leaders, Zhanibek and Kerey, broke away from an Uzbek-ruled kingdom to create a state on the steppes of southern Kazakhstan.
This narrative has become familiar to the Kazakhstani audience following statehood celebrations in 2015 to mark the 550th anniversary of the khanate. The festivities were designed, according to the president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, to “showcase Kazakhstan’s long history”.
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