Translating indigenous languages in multilingual fiction feature films: Ixcanul and embrace of the Serpent

This article aims to uncover current translation practices for Indigenous languages in multilingual feature fiction films by conducting a comparative case study of two 2015 movies: Ixcanul (Volcano, dir. Jayro Bustamante, 2015) and El abrazo de la serpiente (Embrace of the Serpent, dir. Ciro Guerra, 2015). It addresses dialogue translation, on-set and in diegesis, as well as audiovisual translation (AVT). Studying the translation of Indigenous languages in film is crucial to our understanding of the hegemonic and enduring linguistic dynamics disseminated by the media. As such, I investigate which target audience the AVT was produced for, and the reception of the films following their distribution. The understanding of these aspects of translation of Indigenous languages for cinema advocates for reflective, more inclusive, and creative AVT practices aiming to uphold the agency of Indigenous peoples and their languages in cinema.