If early reviews are any indication, "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" is going to be huge. Newsweek proclaimed the film "uproarious." David McCoy of MSM Movies labeled the Borat character - a Kazakhstani journalist created by British comic Sacha Baron Cohen - "funny as hell." A cult following has developed on the Web, and Cohen's over-the-top accent currently floats around college campuses, replete with references to the U. S. and A., horses, sisters and prostitutes. It's a nice!

Here in Kazakhstan, the storm has yet to hit shore. This is partly because Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world, but it has more to do with Kazakhstan's government - which has been extremely critical of Cohen, even threatening to take legal action against him. Chances of the movie opening in theaters are remote, especially since Otau Cinema - the country's largest theater chain - has banned the film. However, once the pirated DVDs begin to emerge (probably before the official release), some Kazakhstanis will see the film, and many will react with indignation similar to that displayed by their government. In some ways, they are right to be upset. We still suggest you see the film, but would like you to go in with a slightly more sophisticated understanding of Kazakhstan.

Borat himself is a misogynistic, anti-Semitic, incestuous bigot fond of "gypsy hunting." Obviously, he is not an accurate representation of the Kazakh or Kazakhstani people. The term "Kazakhstani" is a post-Socialist construct, meant to encompass the more than 100 ethnic groups that now call Kazakhstan home. The Kazakhs themselves are an ancient race with a history they are only now beginning to rediscover and reinvent in the wake of the Soviet collapse. Despite the violence suggested by the Borat character, it is telling that, though their history is rich with legends, conquerors and kings (including Genghis Khan, whose blood runs strong here) the Kazakhs have chosen Abai - a writer, philosopher and poet - as their most esteemed historical figure.

Regarding Borat's sexism and references to age of consent, Kazakhstan is nowhere near as backward as Cohen portrays. Women's rights are an important issue in Kazakhstan. True, there are many housewives, and women tend to marry younger (particularly among the Turkish minority), yet incest and prostitution are almost never encountered. The former is so rare that our Russian translator could not think of the word for it, and the latter is less common here than in many American cities. If anything, Kazakhstanis are more conservative about sexuality than Americans.

Ironically, the country of origin Cohen chose for his raging anti-Semite is perhaps the least anti-Semitic one in the region - far less so than Russia. Even the Anti-Defamation League, a group dedicated to fighting genuine anti-Semitism, has leapt to Kazakhstan's defense. In a recent press release, the ADL stated, "It is unfortunate that Mr. Cohen chose to make jokes at the expense of Kazakhstan."

Of course, Cohen is an extremely bright and talented comedian. Some of his pieces have surprising tidbits of accuracy, causing observers here to suspect Cohen of employing a Kazakh writer. The shiny Chinese suits, the occasional word of genuine Kazakh thrown into the gibberish and the way his voice rises uncontrollably at the end of sentences all speak to a deeper knowledge of Kazakhstan than simply being able to find it on a map.

That raises a final point concerning the Borat character. It does not really matter that he is a Kazakh from Kazakhstan. He could just as easily be Kyrgyz, Dagestani, Uzbek, or Tazliti. Did you know we made up that last one? Exactly. Most Americans - indeed, most people outside of the post-Soviet, post-Socialist Central Asia - know almost nothing about the region.

Were Borat from Greece or Nigeria or Thailand, Americans might have at least some idea of his origins and carry some pre-conceived notions into their interviews. With a "journalist" from Central Asia, however, they are open to just about anything, as his ridiculous encounters reveal. This speaks less to Kazakhstani peculiarity than American ignorance - which is the purpose of the film.

With far less access to the Internet and English television, Kazakhstan today is nearly Borat-free. In all our conversations with Kazakhstanis, the most common response to "What do you think of Borat?" was "What is that?" In fact, when a serious cross-cultural conversation does occur, Kazakhstanis are much more likely to mention George Bush, the war in Iraq and their dislike of both. You see, they aren't so different from Americans after all.

The writers are two foreign nationals living in Kazakhstan, who have been granted anonymity out of concern that the repressive Kazakhstan government might deport them for discussing Cohen's movie publicly.