The Interpreter

Film Blurb:
The Interpreter is a 2005 political thriller film. A U.S. Secret Service agent investigates an interpreter who overhears an assassination plot at the United Nations in New York.

 

Interpreter Bio:

Character: Silvia Broome 
Played by: Nicole Kidman
Plot function: Main Character

Silvia Broome was born in the United States of America but raised in the (fictional) African nation of the Republic of Matobo. Silvia’s parents were British and Matobian. In its fictional geography, the country of Matobo is close to Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Siliva holds dual nationality between Republic of Matobo and the USA.

Her parents and sister were killed by a landmine in Matobo when she was younger. She and her brother survived. Blaming the president Edward Zuwanie for the violence, they both joined an armed guerrilla group to protest against the country’s government. Silvia claims that she joined in order to get people “to listen – just to listen” though. After a wake-up call involving the death of a young boy, Silvia left the guerrilla group and the Republic of Matobo. She left her brother behind, as he felt the need to stay in the group and continue the fight.

Silvia works as a consecutive and simultaneous interpreter for the UN in New York City. She is seen interpreting at the General Assembly and in private meetings between diplomats.

 

Interpreter Languages:
Mother tongue: English, Ku
Secondary languages: Spanish, French, possibly others

Ku is a constructed language based on languages from the Bantu family. It was created by Said el-Gheithy, the director of the Centre for African Language Learning in London, UK, to be the official language of the film’s fictional Republic of Matobo. As well as constructing the language, a fictional history and culture of the country’s people was also created for the film and entwined into the language’s creation.

Ku takes most elements from two Bantu languages, Swahili and Shona, but also contains some unique elements.

 

Interpreter on Screen:
(1) United Nations

Languages: Various
Linguist: Various (Silvia Broome included)
Format: Simultaneous interpreting
Setup: Remote sound booth
Delegates: Representatives from various countries

(2) Private meeting in the United Nations building

Languages: Ku to English, English to Ku
Linguist: Silvia Broome
Format: Consecutive interpreting
Setup: Face-to-face
Delegates: Matoban ambassador and Ambassador Harris of the USA

Notes: Matoban ambassador speaks in Ku during the meeting, but then reveals that that speak English as well, switching to English for the last exchanges.

(3) United Nations

Languages: French to English
Linguist: Silvia Broome
Format: Simultaneous interpreting
Setup: Remote sound booth
Delegates: Representative from France

 

Additional Interpreters in this Film:
(1) United Nations

Languages: French to English
Linguist: Unknown
Format: Simultaneous interpreting
Setup: Remote sound booth
Delegates: Representative from France

(2) Press conference in United Nations building

Languages: Ku to English
Linguist: Counsellor Marcus Matu
Format: Consecutive interpreting
Setup: Press conference
Delegates: Matoban ambassador

 

Talking about Interpreting:

(1) Agent Keller and Silvia Broome

Tobin Keller: “How do you feel about him?”
Silvia Broome: “I don’t care for him.”
Tobin Keller: “Wouldn’t mind if he were dead?”
Silvia Broome: “I wouldn’t mind if he were gone.”
Tobin Keller: “Same thing”
Silvia Broome: “No, it isn’t. If I interpreted ‘gone’ as ‘dead’, I’d be out of a job. If ‘dead’ and ‘gone’ were the same thing, there’d be no UN.”
Tobin Keller: “Your profession is playing with words, Ms Broome.”
Silvia Broome: “I don’t play with words.”

(2) Silvia Broome and Nils Lud

Silvia Broome: “I’m for peace and quiet, Mr Lud. That’s why I came to the UN: quiet diplomacy.”
Nils Lud: “With respect, you only interpret”
Silvia Broome: “Countries have gone to war because they misinterpreted one another.”

 

Accuracy of Interpreting Shown:

• Location – Genuine United Nations building in New York

The U.N. General Assembly and Security Council chambers were used to film parts of the film. Their first request to film in the building was turned down, however Sydney Pollack approached the then-Secretary-General directly to negotiate permission to film inside the United Nations. The permission was granted so that the film would be “something dignified, something that is honest and reflects the work that [the UN] does.”

• Microphone sound check – Technical side of interpreting setup

Sound Technician: “Levels please”
Interpreter: “Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, …”

• Sound booth technician – Appears in multiple scenes as a minor role
• Sound booths – As the set is the real United Nations building, the sound booths shown are real and accurate for how interpreters would normally work.

 

Interpreting Challenges:

• Emotional attachment / conflict of interest
  Silvia is asked to interpret at meetings and assemblies that relate to diplomats from the Republic of Matobo. The topics of genocide and war crimes are particularly close to home for her, as her parents and sister were killed in a landmine explosion in Matobo. Her political and personal affiliation is to one of the president’s current opposition leaders (Ajene Xola).
• Stress
  The situations in the film cause Silvia to be clearly stressed, and this is proven in her lie detector test. The stress does not appear to affect her ability to interpret though, as she continues to be seen in the sound booth in a number of clips after her lie detector test.
• Delegate knowing a language but choosing not to speak it
  Knowing that a delegate can speak both languages, but chooses not to, can be daunting for an interpreter. The delegate may not agree with the word choice used by an interpreter and could interrupt if they believe that they are not being correctly understood by the interpreter or the opposite delegate(s).
  
• Delegate speaking too quickly
  While the general assembly sessions shown in the film are quite relaxed in pace, the face-to-face meeting that is shown between the US and Matobo ambassadors is quite fast considering there is only one interpreter in the room. The delegates start replying to the interpreted speech before the interpreter has had a chance to finish the phrase that they are saying.

 

Gallery:

[KGVID gallery=”true” gallery_thumb=”150″]

 

Credits:

Film release date: April 2005
Directed by: Sydney Pollack
Produced by: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Kevin Misher
Written by: Martin Stellman, Briad Ward and David Rayfiel
Screenplay by: Charles Randolph, Scott Frank and Steven Zaillian
Production/Distribution: Working Title Films, StudioCanal, Mirage Enterprises, Universal Pictures

Rent/buy this title: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Interpreter-Sean-Penn-Nicole-Kidman/dp/B00I3RARW8