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Article published In: Babel
Vol. 70:3 (2024) ► pp.334–356

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Applying feminist translation strategies in audio description

On the negotiation of visual representations of non-normativity

 | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
 | Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Published online: 10 October 2023
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https://doi.org/10.1075/babel.00354.itu
Abstract
Intersectional feminist translation provides visibility to the historically hidden or marginalized characters and narratives. This article interrogates the strategies we can apply to translate images into words, that is, to audio describe non-normative identities while adhering to the particularities of audiovisual productions. It poses the question of how to provide a feminist audio description that aligns with the creators’ intent. The objective of this study is to analyse the strategies applied to create a gender-conscious AD of a documentary on lesbophobia where ten women share their experiences as non-normative persons. They are defined by a series of intrinsic features such as race, gender expression or age and present a myriad of differences that have irremediably influenced their experience of lesbophobia and how society reads and identifies them. The visual contents in this documentary provide essential information that complements the understanding of the problem by people with visual impairment. This action research study analyses the challenges emerged during the AD production. It aims to emphasize the mediating power of AD professionals and how they influence the understanding of blind audiences.
Resumen
La traducción feminista interseccional visibiliza a personajes y narrativas históricamente ocultos o marginados. Este artículo cuestiona las estrategias que podemos aplicar para traducir imágenes en palabras, es decir, para audiodescribir identidades no normativas respetando las características de las producciones audiovisuales. Se plantea la cuestión de cómo producir una audiodescripción feminista que se ajuste a la intención del equipo creador. El objetivo de este estudio es presentar y analizar las estrategias aplicadas para crear una AD con conciencia de género de un documental sobre la lesbofobia en el que diez mujeres comparten sus experiencias como personas no normativas. Estas mujeres se definen por una serie de rasgos intrínsecos como la raza, la expresión de género o la edad y presentan una serie de diferencias que han influido irremediablemente en su experiencia con la lesbofobia y en cómo la sociedad las lee e identifica. Los contenidos visuales de este documental aportan información esencial que complementa la comprensión de las personas con discapacidad visual de estas violencias. Este estudio de investigación-acción analiza los retos surgidos durante la producción de la AD, destacando así el poder mediador de quienes las crean y cómo influyen en la comprensión del público ciego.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Representation and translation
  • 3.Audio description and gender
    • 3.1Guidelines and recommendations
  • 4.Object of study: The Lesbofobia documentary
  • 5.Methodology
  • 6.Case study
    • 6.1Race and ethnicity
    • 6.2Gender expression
    • 6.3Disability
    • 6.4Age
  • 7.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
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Espasa, Eva
2024. Negotiating Identities from Intersectional Perspectives: Gendered Translation and Accessibility in Audiovisual Fiction. In The Palgrave Handbook of Multilingualism and Language Varieties on Screen, ► pp. 173 ff. DOI logo

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