The Moscow Times reported Thursday that Russia's Federal Agency of Culture and Cinematography has banned the release of the box-office hit, "Borat," claiming the film's content could be offensive to certain religious or ethnic groups.
If the Agency's decision holds, Borat will be the first non-pornographic film banned in Russia since the collapse of the USSR. The film stars Jewish comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's character Borat, a Kazakh journalist who describes Kazakhstan as a country where people are addicted to horse urine and rape, incest and dog-killing are accepted leisurely activities.
The movie which was originally scheduled for a November 30 release in Russia – same day it's scheduled to be released in Israel – earned a record USD 26.5 Million in its first weekend in the US despite the relatively small number of theaters it is featured in.