Oscar nod for Kazakhstan
ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- A Kazakh-financed film has been nominated for best foreign film at this year’s Oscars, a welcome creative boost to this central Asian country that was so heavily lampooned by the hit “Borat” movie.
“This nomination is a message to Kazakhstan’s business and government: Guys, you can export not just oil, gas and grain but also highly creative products,” said Bolat Galimgereyev, one of the film’s producers.
“Mongol,” Kazakhstan’s first Oscar nod, is a story about survival and war tracing the early life of Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan, played by Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano. The $21.9-million film was financed by private Kazakh investors.
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