The Untold Truth Of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
By Isabella Wilson
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm marks the triumphant return of one of satirist Sacha Baron Cohen's most famous characters, a boorish, sexist journalist from a Kazakhstan backwater. The breakout character of the 2020 comedy is Tutar, Borat's heretofore unknown 15-year-old daughter who lives in a barn by his house and becomes the nation's gift to American Vice President Mike Pence. Subsequent Moviefilm marks the Western film debut for 24-year-old Bulgarian actor Maria Bakalova, who, prior to portraying Tutar, acted in less than a dozen other projects, including the Bulgarian films Transgression, Last Call, and Xlla. None of those projects are particularly well-known to English-speaking comedy audiences in the U.S. and elsewhere, but Subsequent Moviefilm's producers still endeavored to make sure Bakalova's performance — which runs the comedy gamut from pretending to eat a monkey to confronting Rudy Giuliani — was a revelation. Pre-release press materials claimed that the actress portraying Tutar was named Irina Novak, for whom, of course, no footprint or acting recording existed.
In reality, Bakalova studied at Bulgaria's National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts, and beat out more than 600 other women interested in playing Tutar. Subsequent Moviefilm producers put out an open call, and Bakalova sent in a videotape, auditioned in person in London, and Cohen personally selected her to play his daughter.
