CINEMA TRANSLATION IN POST-COMMUNIST UKRAINE: RECLAIMING THE UKRAINIAN IDENTITY MOTRIA SPOLSKY A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER'S OF ARTS GRADUATE PROGRAM IN TRANSLATION YORK UNIVERSITY, GLENDON COLLEGE TORONTO, ONTARIO DECEMBER 2009 Library and Archives Bibliothgque et 1*1 Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de l'6dition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-62325-1 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-62325-1 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant a la Biblioth&que et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by partelecommunication o u par Nntemet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le loan, distribute and sell theses monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non- support microforme, papier, electronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. 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I+I Canada Abstract This thesis examines the circumstances which led to the enforcement of mandatory Ukrainian language translations of foreign movies in Ukraine beginning in January 2008. Secondly, it looks at the reactions of various translators, movie distributors, theatre owners, community activists and others to this language requirement. The goal of this thesis, besides providing an overview of the movie translation situation, was to understand the role that movie translation can play in providing a common language for the entire nation, thereby strengthening its self-perception of national identity. The data, consisting of articles from various print and internet media, was collected over a one year period from autumn 2008 to autumn 2009, while interviews were carried out in Ukraine during November and December 2008. The significance of this thesis resides in its overview and analysis of a newly created audiovisual translation situation, and as a starting point for future research. Ce memoire a pour objectif d'analyser le contexte ukrainien et les circonstances qui ont rendu obligatoire la traduction des films etrangers vers I'ukrainien depuis janvier 2008. II fait tout d'abord I'etat des reactions que les traducteurs, les distributeurs, les proprietaires des cinemas, les militants et d'autres personnes impliquees ont exprimees vis-a-vis ce nouveau reglement linguistique. Mais au-dela de cette analyse, le memoire souleve egalement les questions concernant le double role que la traduction cinematographique peut jouer, d'un cote, en fournissant une langue commune pour la nation et de I'autre, en renforgant I'identite nationale. Le corpus a ete constitue a partir des articles parus dans la presse et en ligne entre automne 2008 et automne 2009, ainsi qu'a partir des interviews effectuees en novembre et decembre 2008 en Ukraine. En mettant en lumiere une situation de traduction audiovisuelle tout a fait nouvelle, ce memoire se veut exploratoire et ne peut etre qu'un point de depart pour des recherches futures. Acknowledgments Many people helped me through my thesis experience. Thank you to Prof. Aurelia Klimkiewicz for being so much more than just a thesis advisor. Her encouragement, advice and belief in me carried me through the most difficult days of writing and into progress. I am likewise grateful to my thesis committee: Profs. Tereza Barta, Jerzy Kowal and Candace Seguinot. Their insight into my thesis and the various directions it could lead made my defense a truly enriching experience I would like to thank the late Prof. Daniel Simeoni, former director of the graduate program in translation. He encouraged me to think outside the limits of French-English and helped me to see that writing a thesis was an attainable goal. Thank you also to Prof. Marie-Christine Aubin, current director of the graduate program in translation studies, for her encouragement, and to Jacqueline Angoh for patiently answering all my questions from day one. Thank you to everyone in Ukraine who willingly took time out of their busy schedules to speak to me. My interviewees were eager to help me grasp the situation, to help me find more interviewees. In particular, I am grateful to Bohdan Batruch and Andriy Andriyuk who both continued to answer my emails months after our interviews; and Victor Morozov and Motria Onyschuk, who welcomed me into their home and gave me many interesting documents. I am very grateful to all my friends for their support and encouragement, and for knowing when to ask how my thesis was progressing and when to change the topic. In particular, thank you to Lee-Anne and Ihor for proofreading, and to Eric Bury for his enviable formatting skills. Finally, a special thank you to my family: my mother Marusia, my father Yuri, my sister Laryssa and my brother Danylo. Their support was invaluable, as was their proofreading, editing, listening skills, patience and love. AflKYKD! Table of Contents Title Page i Copyright Page ii Certificate Page iii Abstract iv Acknowledgments v Table of Contents vi List of Tables viii List of Figures ix INTRODUCTION 1 1. LITERATURE REVIEW AND METHODOLOGY 4 Aspects of Audiovisual Translation 4 Choosing a Topic 7 Research Methods 9 Research Goals 11 2. HISTORY OF UKRAINE 14 The Era of Princes 15 The Cossacks 19 Occupation 23 Independence 34 3. HISTORY OF THE UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE 36 Early History of the Language 36 The Twentieth Century 40 The Specificity of the Soviet Era 42 Language Challenges in Contemporary Ukraine 44 Identity Through Translation 48 4. LANGUAGE AND NATIONAL IDENTITY 52 Defining a Nation 53 Defining National Identity 54 Language and Identity 56 National Identity and Language in Ukraine 58 5. CINEMA IN UKRAINE 67 Cinema Before Independence 68 Independence and Reality 70 The Domestic Film Industry 73 6. PRESENT SITUATION AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS 74 The Law on Cinematography 76 Understanding the Law on Cinematography 80 The Current State of Film Translation 84 The Major Players 88 7. ANALYSIS OF RESEARCH AND RECOMMENDATIONS 95 Hopes and Fears 99 Recommendations 117 Movie Translation in Belgium, Catalonia and Quebec 120 Identity Through Translation, Part Two 122 CONCLUSION 126 Appendix A - Map of Present-Day Ukraine 130 Appendix B - Sample Interview Questions 131 Bibliography 133 VI1 List of Tables Table 1 Population and percent of film market of the six 86 largest markets (urban centres) in Ukraine. List of Figures Figure A.l Map of Present-Day Europe 130 Figure A.2 Map of Present-Day Ukraine 130 Introduction In today's world, due to globalization and the evolution of the Internet, borders both geographic and political have become permeable and identities variable. The importance of language as an element of national identity is often considered debatable, as is the relevance of ethnicity. The Soviet reality, a constant in Ukraine for a large part of the twentieth century, no longer exists. Modernity, with its hallmark of individuality, is the new reality. It is within this context of a post- Soviet modernity that Ukraine has taken on the challenge of defining its identity in the nearly twenty years since declaring independence. Movies, along with all popular culture, make up an important part of this new and modern Ukrainian identity, and translated movies are an essential component of this cinema landscape. Over the past four years, the field of movie translation has had significant changes introduced and, more importantly, enforced. In December 2007, the article of the Ukrainian Law on Cinematography dealing with the language of foreign movies, an article which was previously disregarded, was brought into force. Movie distributors could no longer rely on Russian language translations carried out beyond the borders of Ukraine; they henceforth had to ensure the movies they distributed were being translated into Ukrainian. This change was played out against the background of linguistic tensions, both Russian and Ukrainian being historically significant languages in Ukraine. In the presented research, I have addressed the questions of how people have reacted to the changes in linguistic requirements in movie translations; the reasons for the varied reactions; and the influence that these changes might have on feelings of national identity and on the language situation in Ukraine. I have likewise drawn a connection between translation and identity through Annie Brisset's functions of translation. This thesis is divided into seven chapters. I begin in the first chapter with an introduction to relevant literature in the field of audiovisual translation and a presentation of my methodogy. In the second chapter, in order to understand Ukraine's current situation and its hesitation between Russian and Western influences, I look at the complex history of Ukraine - its brief yet illustrious period of supremacy; the numerous and prolonged stretches of subjugation, punctuated by campaigns for sovereignty; and finally modern independence.