The New York Times-20080125-Nation Of Kazakhstan Enjoys Last Laugh- -Brief-

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Nation Of Kazakhstan Enjoys Last Laugh; [Brief]

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Cinematically speaking, things have taken a turn for the better in Kazakhstan. Derided in 2006 by Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, the former Soviet republic is basking in the glow of an Oscar nomination for best foreign film. The nominee, Mongol, directed by Sergei Bodrov, a Russian, is a tale of survival and war that tracks the early life of Genghis Khan. This nomination is a message to Kazakhstan's business and government: Guys, you can export not just oil, gas and grain but highly creative products, Bolat Galimgereyev, below left, one of the film's producers and sponsors, told Reuters. Mongol is the first Kazakh film to receive an Oscar nomination.

[Illustration]PHOTO (PHOTOGRAPH BY SHAMIL ZHUMATOV/REUTERS)