Surviving Translation documentary
If our words are mistranslated - our truth is not told.

This meditative and poetic documentary by director Ling Lee captures testimonies from women who fled their homelands in the hope of building a new life in the UK. They speak candidly of the dangers and gender-based violence they suffered in their past and the arduous journeys they undertook to escape. They explain that – even after arriving in the UK – they need to communicate via an interpreter to secure medical care and apply for asylum; a process which causes them to relive past traumas and recurring unequal power dynamics. With their futures held in the balance – they must speak via a complete stranger who may or may not have their best interest at heart. To further illuminate this largely unexamined subject, the film also presents testimonies from interpreters, subtitlers and translators who describe the – sometimes harrowing – challenges that they themselves face.

Raw testimony, poetic imagery, and academic research coalesce in this unique meditation on translation, isolation, and the meaning of 'home'. It was a pleasure to do additional cinematography on this project for director Ling Lee.

Full film details can be found here.

cinematography