‘Borat’ villagers to sue producers for USD 30m

The Romanian villagers used to portray fictional peasants in the hit Borat movie are suing producers for USD 30m (EUR 23m), the Los Angeles Times reported Monday. Attorneys representing the villagers are set to sue in New York, Florida and Germany asking for more than USD 30m in damages and are seeking to stop further screening of the controversial comedy if scenes making fun of the villagers are not cut or changed. The villagers claim that they were manipulated by the crew and lied to about the true nature of the film, and that unlike others in the movie, they did not sign release forms, a claim disputed by a spokesman for 20th Century Fox, which is distributing the film. The villagers also contend in the suit that the film ridicules them on ethnic grounds. The report said that the suits seek USD 5m (EUR 4m) to improve infrastructure in the impoverished village, an additional USD 25m (EUR 19.5m) dollars for humanitarian aid and an unspecified amount for fair compensation for the villagers, who were paid roughly USD 4 (EUR 3) a day for participating in the film, writes DPA, Expatica Germany.

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