The true Baron Cohen may be the star of the “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”, but it is Maria Bakalova who has emerged as his hero.
Tutor Sagdiyev, the 15-year-old daughter of a Kazakh journalist, is in the role of Bakolova Better Cohen, in this delicious prank now popular on Amazon. Raised in a pantry by his misguided father and ridiculed, Tutter is on his way to a recent trip to the United States with Borat, who became a bait and co-conspirator in his father’s plans to deliver him to Vice President Mike Pence.
Through the now infamous interview with Rudolf W. Giuliani – through numerous traumatic encounters with unsafe signs – Tutter turned his attention to the quiet (and sometimes not so quiet) mischief around him.
For Bakalova, she is a 24-year-old Bulgarian actress whose previous film and television work (including the Italian TV crime drama “Gomorah”) was a progressive one, which gave her the benefit of playing the wrong teenager. Who doesn’t know that women can read, drive or masturbate.
As Bakalova explained in Zoom’s conversation on Tuesday, he sees the “Borat” sequel as basically a story of Tutor’s education and liberation. Speaking from Los Angeles, where she currently lives, she said, “This is a movie about how a girl can grow up and how she grows up. “How people don’t treat you right because you’re a woman and what kind of options you have.”
For Bakalova, a leading role in a major American film is also a satisfying opportunity to honor her country.
“It’s not happening to people like us like the Bulgarians,” he said. “Most of the time, eventually a movie has a small, tiny extra part, two or three lines like a prostitute or a mafia guy. To give this platform to Eastern Europeans, I am really grateful to Sachin, for playing a strong and complex character, which is not just one thing. ”
Bakolova talked more about making the “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”, “his work with Baron Cohen and his very observational scene with Giuliani. These are edited excerpts from that conversation.
How was your upbringing in Bulgaria? How did you get into performing?
I started singing at the age of or or and then I started playing the flute. But at some point, I want to explore more. I wanted to escape reality. Because in acting, you can be anyone. You can do everything. You can stay on Mars. I was really obsessed with Scandinavian cinema and the Dogme 95 movement, and inspired by actresses like Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Natalie Portman – how powerful they can be and the important stories they can tell.
Have you ever been a prankster or a practical joker?
Really, no. I was a super disciplined kid. I read a lot of books. I was obsessed with Dostoevsky like 15, 16. When the first “Borat” movie was released [in 2006], I was 10 years old, so I never saw it before they parted with me. But even if I had, for sure I wouldn’t understand it.
How did you get to be cast in the sequel?
I heard from a friend that there was an open call for a lead role in a Hollywood movie. And like I was, it’s not possible. We are Bulgarian. No one really can see us in the lead role. I sent self-tapes, then they called me for a screen test in London. But this project was very secretive, I was, is this really a project? I am sure it will be a situation of human trafficking. I had no idea he was going to meet Sacha – it was a surprise.
How did you prepare with him in London?
Three-day screen tests were performed. First, we had a small rehearsal; Another one, we started working with real people. They had to believe it We are To work for this film, real people, that we are not actors. We had to keep it a secret.
So it’s you and Sacha playing Tutter and Bort together. Who were you acting against and how did you choose them?
It was a home and there was a super-sweet, nice old couple from England. And we went our crazy way towards them. I’m sure I don’t know how they actually did that. At the same time, let’s break down the idea of how magic is happening. Sacha is the person who knows how the whole machine works.
As you started making the film, how did Sacha describe Tutter’s character?
Sacha explained that Tutter should be as crazy as Borat, maybe even crazy. She should be completely confused – what is right, what is wrong – and through this journey she should learn how to be a common man. It’s a satirical movie, it’s on top, but it made me think about how it feels to live this life despite being fake. It would be like this, if people treated you this way you would be happy – if your whole purpose in life was to get married and live in a cage?
And how will her perspective be equipped with a sexist guide that misrepresents her own body?
The guide is a metaphor for how society and patriarchy behave and what people expect. Am I ashamed to menstruate? Should I be ashamed that I have body hair? Should I be ashamed that I am a woman? Tutter believed this from the beginning, and Sachcha wanted to show that in 2020, this is a moment when people should start treating each other equally.
When we first meet Tutter, he is in a very declining state. How did you approach those scenes?
It’s something like hypnosis. You’re just going for it. We really decided that I would grow my real body hair. LA stays warm almost all the time. Every time I have to wear a dress or top, you will be able to see my armpit hair and leg hair. He was kind of obese. My facial hair never grows. I tried my best. But my eyebrows never grow. Part of the face is due to my makeup artist Katie Frey, but everything else is completely natural. It was very interesting when I finally shaved – I was able to feel the wind on my hands and feet.
Ever had a hard time living in your character?
When Sacha starts doing his thing, and you are right next to him, he has this very serious face. I have to say that this is the most common thing to date. But it’s pretty funny. There were moments when this scene was so funny and you can’t stop laughing. That’s bad, because people realized it’s a joke. He taught me the trick of crossing my fingers, putting pressure on my fingers, stopping laughing.
Were there any qualities that you sympathized with? Genius JonesShe was very kind to you, working in a way that was outside of Tutter’s parents – did you feel that you were betraying her?
We spent maybe five, six hours with Genius and that’s the guy you’ll see onscreen. It’s just incredible. She’s not an actress – she just wanted Tutter and Tutter to help her admire herself, pursue her dreams, and educate herself. We need people like Genius. He is an angel.
Do you ever feel like you are in a physical crisis?
True, he is my non-biological father and he will be like that forever. So I trusted him from the beginning and I knew he would never put me in a dangerous situation. At the same time, we had a security team that was able to rescue us in an instant. While at the hotel and the scene when Rudy Giulini called the police, I had a kind of fear that something would happen. But luckily, we escaped.
Do you know who Giuliana was before you recorded your interview with her?
I knew who he was, because 9/11 was something everyone should know. It is one of the most difficult moments in recent history. But I’m not American, I don’t get into American politics. I don’t think I am aware of the situation in America and its political system. True has lived here for a long time. I believe in it.
How did you and Sacha prepare to shoot that scene?
We’ll talk a lot about different scenarios. How should I behave, this way or that way? What should I do? What is smart? But in all the scenes, I was confident that the truth would save me and that scene would be saved, so it could not be a disaster. He is my guardian angel.
Are you still nervous about filming it?
Yes. I panicked. My heart was pounding. But as was true, you should be nervous in this situation. So use your nerves. Convert them and accept them and they will help you in everything.
Giuliani has stated That he was never inappropriate for you and he was slipping into his shirt, but other viewers believe he is doing something illegal. What happened in that scene?
[Laughs] I saw everything you saw. If you’ve seen the movie, that’s our message. We want everyone to watch a movie and do justice to themselves.
But have you come to a conclusion about what you are doing?
I believe he is my back [to the camera] There, we can see what he does in the mirror.
What do you think is happening? You are the only other person who was in the room. Do you have any other clues about what he is doing?
[Long pause] What to do You Think he was doing it?
I can see that either interpretation can be correct. But I wasn’t there, and you were. Do you have an opinion in any way?
Sacha quickly jumped into the room, as she was worried about me. So, if it was late, I don’t know how things would go. But it came on time.
When did Giuliani think Tutter was 15 when he agreed to be interviewed?
I’m not the guy who really books these people, so when we get to the scene I’m doing the scene, without introducing myself. I’m not sure what he knows or doesn’t know.
Giuliani has been ridiculed and criticized for being scattered by you and the “Borat” filmmakers. Do you feel all bad for that?
Movies like this are showing people the true color. It will show the true colors of the genes. He’s going to show real character [Judith Dim Evans], Women in the synagogue. It will show the real character of Rudy. You are responsible for your own decisions. So, no, I don’t feel bad.
What did you learn about Americans after the film’s release, living among them?
I was so happy to see how happy people were over the weekend [following the presidential election]. Because in my country, through years and years of different systems, when people do not have the right to vote. Now seeing that people were actually voting, and people all over the streets were celebrating and crying and dancing and singing. It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen in my life. It was really inspiring, seeing that for the first time in history, there is a woman as vice president. Like a movie, women can do anything. And sometimes we can do it better.
