Translation and the Visual Predicament of the “JESUS” Film in West Africa

Abstract

How well does the "JESUS '' film communicate cross-culturally ? This article shows that much more is communicated through a film's cinematography than through its spoken message. Cultural diTerences can cause audiences to misunderstand a message, even if its words are translated into the local language. Localized films that take into account the visual culture of their target audiences are necessary j b r successjul communication.

Pilgrim’s missionary progress: Contemporary evangelistic adaptations of John Bunyan’s lingering spiritual classic for a post-secular West

“…The producers explicitly take the 1970s "Jesus movie" as their benchmark. Concerns have been raised about the use of that movie, chief among which is that the literalism of attention to verbal translation ignores the visual translation and contextualization necessary for communication in this movie media format (Merz, 2010). This critique must stand also for a movie of Pilgrim's Progress intended to communicate Christian transformation and identity.…”

Bible Transmediation in Theory and Practice

“…The current importance of translating, transposing, or adapting biblical texts to different media products is unprecedented. While these processes can be explained through a translation theory that builds on communication models, such as relevance theory (Boomershine 1994; Gutt 2000; Hill 2006; Hill et al 2011; Merz 2010; Sperber and Wilson 1995), they pose a conceptual problem: How do we effectively talk about these processes in a way that distinguishes them from translating verbal texts?…”