Wednesday, July 23, 2014

HAUSA MOVIE SUBTITLES: AN IMPORTANT BUT UNRECOGNISED EFFORT



Written by Ummulkhairi Usman.
Showbiz industries are one of the fastest growing industries world-wide and it is one industry that is very versatile and consists of various aspects that include Music, Film-making, Stand-Up comedy, to mention just a few.
In a bid to encourage the various professional hands, stake-holders and corporate bodies that make the industry tick, awards are being organised as recognition to the efforts that contribute to the growth of the industry.

These awards go to various categories that include best film, best director, best producer, best musician, e.t.c but one very important category that has always being ignored over the years is the category of MOVIE SUBTITLES, you all will agree with me that movies dont win awards if they are not subtitled, then if subtitles are a criteria for the success of a movie, why is it being side-lined?
Movie translators work tirelessly, day and night to ensure that they give their best as far as movie translation is concerned, but all this efforts go unrecognised, some of the movie subtitles we see on our TV screens are poorly done and I believe it is as a result of unrecognised efforts, because anyone who knows that someone out there is waiting to either criticize or commend his efforts will do it better, and most of the subtitles in the industry are sub-standard because there is no competition, and there will never be any competition in any business that there is no recognition, and as such I will strongly advice the stake-holders involved to look critically into the matter and introduce best movie subtitles as a category in upcoming awards as this will awaken those that do it poorly and remind them that all eyes are on them and that will make them perform better.

Ummulkhairi usman is an experienced translator with over three years experience, translating for both local and international firms. One of which is Freidrich-Ebert-Stiftung Nigeria (FES-Nigeria). She has translated and back translated over a 100 movies and movie scripts from Hausa to English for Kaanywood Nigeria (Hausa movie Industry) some of which include; HADARIN GABAS, KURKUKU, MADUBIN DUBAWA, NI DA KE MUN DACE  to mention just a few. for proof read for FES-NIGERIA on a document titled “the fire next time” in early 2013, and as well translated an advert document from English to Hausa for Unlimited Network of Opportunities, No 355 Ave, Brgy, Wack-Wack, Mandaluyong city, 1555, Philippines in November, 2013. In recent years, she has been translating two TV series from Hausa to English for MYTV Hausa (RAYUWAH and BAKAN GIZO).

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