APTN head defends new dubbing policy (fwd)

[phil cash cash]

March 11, 2005

APTN head defends new dubbing policy
Isuma, MLAs, culture minister oppose decision to dub Inuktitut language
programming

ARTHUR JOHNSON
http://www.nunatsiaq.com/news/nunavut/50311_02.html

Given his background, credentials and current job, Jean LaRose is the
kind of guy who should be spending most of his time accepting awards
and honours for his efforts in promoting aboriginal languages in
Canada.

But LaRose, who was born in Quebec of First Nations descent and now
heads the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, arrived in Iqaluit
this week to face hostile critics, some of whom accuse him of trying to
marginalize or do serious damage to the Inuktitut language, and others
who flat-out say he is a racist.

LaRose’s new pariah status across Nunavut arises, he says, from a
well-intentioned desire on the part of him and his network to make
programming more accessible to more people and to broaden it out to
include more aboriginal languages.

In fact, he says, this was precisely what the TVNC, the predecessor
organization of APTN, pledged to the Canadian Radio and Television
Commission that it do with the new network.

LaRose said he was merely reaffirming this pledge when he called, in a
recent request for proposals from filmmakers and other program
creators, to start “versioning” or “dubbing” their works into other
languages, including French and English, rather than just providing a
translation in subtitles.

This is done by replacing speech in the soundtrack of programs or films
with translations delivered by other actors.

This would help to achieve a wider audience for programming, to satisfy
audience demands for more programming in their own languages, and would
vastly broaden the range of aboriginal languages heard on the network,
LaRose said.

But the response in Nunavut from filmmakers and government leaders was
universally negative, he acknowledged. “The line forms to the left and
it just doesn’t stop,” he said ruefully about his Nunavut critics.

Topping the list is Louis Tapardjuk, Nunavut’s minister of culture,
language, elders and youth, who insists that the new policy is a step
backward.

“Any channel that you turn on the dial on TV, you don’t pick up any
other languages except English and French, and APTN is the only station
that our unilingual Inuit in Nunavaut can understand,” Tapardjuk told
CBC News. He’s campaigning to have all members of the Legislative
Assembly oppose the new policy.

Tapardjuk, other MLAs and everyone else were to get a chance to accost
LaRose at a public consultation scheduled for March 10 in Iqaluit.,
just before Nunatsiaq News went to press.

Marie-Helene Cousineau of Igloolik Isuma Productions said in a letter to
APTN that she found it “disturbing both politically and artistically” to
hear about LaRose’s request for proposals. “How ironic that APTN would
refuse to licence aboriginal language films not dubbed in English or
French,” she wrote. “How do you call that: Self-hatred? Post
colonialism? Short vision? Racism?”

LaRose said being accused of racism stings. What’s more, he said, APTN’s
intent has been badly misinterpreted. Inuktitut language programming now
makes up 23 per cent of all of APTN’s content. All other aboriginal
language programs comprise just 2 per cent.

LaRose said he’d like to see Inuktitut programs dubbed into other
aboriginal languages, as well as English and French, because that’s
what viewers say they desire.

He said he’s had positive responses from producers in the south,
including one French language producer who expressed a willingness to
dub programs in aboriginal languages.

It would mean, he acknowledged, additional costs for producers, but APTN
would be willing to negotiate higher licencing fees to offset these
costs.

But he said he also understands that in some cases, the opposition to
dubbing by some Inuktitut language producers might be intractable.

In these cases, he said, he intends to offer producers the alternative
of having their undubbed programs appear on prime time spots on APTN’s
“northern” feed,” which is seen in Nunavut, while in the south the
programs would only be broadcast in the less desirable afternoon
afternoon spots, when there are fewer viewers.

Of course, he said, that would mean such producers would receive lower
licencing fees.

Whatever the outcome, LaRose seemed resigned to the prospect that he has
made some enemies. “It’s very hard to meet all expectations,” he said.
“Language is one of those things that can flare out the passions of
people.”