08/04/2014 - Over 160 big names in French cinema support ASIF as it condemns the emergence of low-quality English subtitling practices

Roman Polanski is one of the signatories

Roman Polanski, Laurent Cantet, Arnaud Desplechin, Bruno Dumont, Olivier Assayas, Mathieu Amalric, Cédric Klapisch, Robert Guédiguian Dany Boon, Alain Guiraudie, Christophe Honoré, Mia Hansen-Love, Rebecca Zlotowski, Anne Fontaine, Philippe Lioret, Lucas Belvaux, Mathieu Delaporte and Alexandre de la Patellière, to name but a few... Over 160 French directors and scriptwriters have expressed their support for the English-language translators and adapters at ASIF (Anglo Subtitlers In France), who have set about defending their profession in the face of a resurgence of low-cost practices, brought in primarily by subtitling laboratories.

In an open letter to French producers, the filmmakers and scriptwriters point out the fact that they owe part of their success “on the international markets to the talent and hard work of the English-language translators working in France (...) The progression of cinema towards digital technology has meant that the subtitling market is thriving. The distributors, producers and laboratories have therefore been looking for solutions in order to lower the costs associated with taking part in international festivals and promoting films abroad (...) More and more often, distributors and international sales agents tend to offload the subtitling costs onto the producers or search for any means possible to drive prices down to ridiculous levels, even if this means entrusting the work to under-qualified people. Some laboratories offer ‘all-inclusive’ flat rates that include the amount for translation (...) This practice has already done considerable damage to the video and television sector, and if the film industry follows the same model, in the end, the quality of the translation will clearly suffer (...) Respecting the translator’s working conditions means respecting the work itself.”

For its part, ASIF today sent a letter to the CNC, the Cannes Festival, Unifrance, all of the producers’ associations in France (ARP, SPI, SRF, APC and BLOC) and the ADEF (Film Exporters’ Association) in order to make them aware of the ongoing downward spiral and to request their support: “After having spent hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of euros on producing a film, it seems counterproductive to try to make small cost savings on subtitling. By seeking to make these savings, it runs the risk of making the film less appealing on the international markets.”

(Translated from French)