I attended the US Premiere of "Carmen Meets Borat" at the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival, and it was truly delightful. The film was shot in Romania and hails from The Netherlands.
Written and directed by Mercedes Stalenhoef, this poignant documentary takes us to the town of Glod, the "fictional" Kazakhstan village which served (somewhat unwittingly) as Borat's hometown in Sacha Baron Cohen's film of the same name. "Carmen Meets Borat" benefits from the latter character's name in its title but deservedly so.
The story of the film's origins is fascinating. While on vacation, Stalenhoef initially had a chance encounter with Carmen, a charming but feisty resident of a small country town in Romania. Intrigued by the description of her rich and colorful life in the former Communist country, Stalenhoef decided to travel to Glod and shoot a film about its people.
Serendipitously, 20th Century Fox just happened to show up in Glod during the filming of her documentary. In presenting its simple townsfolk as backwards and even somewhat perverted, "Borat's" presence caused Stalenhoef's film to evolve into something completely different -- an exposé of sorts, following the ensuing lawsuit which the residents of Glot filed against "Borat's" filmmakers for their negative portrayals and defamations. The residents there speak no English and had no awareness of Fox's intentions to portray them as prostitutes and sexual deviants.
Because we get to know and develop an affinity for the people of Glod long before Fox rolls into town, we can't help but sympathize with these folks when the big Hollywood studio crew shows up to exploit their innocence and naiveté. The film mixes cinema verité with a narrative style, as the residents occasionally address the camera directly with an eagerness to show the viewer just how full of life they really are. That said, the film can be uncomfortable to watch at times since these country folk can be viewed as "backwards" to some extent when compared to many in more developed areas, although nothing like what "Borat" depicts.
The soundtrack is similar to that used in "Borat," helping to illustrate the stark contrast between the reality of this peaceful village with the fictionalized town presented in the Fox movie. "Carmen Meets Borat" is as humorous and awkward as the residents of Glod. It may not be the best place to live, but it's nice to have visited.
