Lao-ITECC to show films in Lao


Photo: Inside the theater at Lao-ITECC

Movie -lovers in Vientiane will soon be able watch films on the big screen in their own language, when the cinema at Lao-ITECC begins screening movies translated into Lao.

The city's only cinema will start having films translated into the local language following an order from the Vientiane Information and Culture Department.

The cinema's director, Mr Chamlong Soukchalueanphone, confirmed this week that at least 30 percent of the films to be screened at ITECC would soon be screened in Lao, although the original Thai or Thai-dubbed versions would also be shown on alternate days.

He said the theatre had recording facilities for two translators to do voiceovers, but this will soon be modified to facilitate four translators.

Once this is complete, each film will be translated and the voiceovers recorded before screening.

The cinemas at Lao-ITECC have been showing films in both Thai and English since it opened in 2004.

But although moviegoers might appreciate efforts to have films translated into their own language, Mr Chamlong is not sure whether these screenings will be as popular as the Thai versions.

“I suppose we won't know until we put this plan into action,” he said, adding that the first Lao versions would start screening later this year.

He pointed out that Lao people have come to rely on Thai versions of popular movies for their regular entertainment, as well as television shows.

An official from the National Film Archive and Video Centre, Mr Salieng Xeingvong, is a translator who will be working on the Lao versions of movies to screen at Lao-ITECC.

He said there were currently not enough translators to work on large numbers of movies, and he planned to spend the next few months training people to work on translations for this project .

Apart from screening films in Lao, the cinema is also planning to install extra projectors with which to screen special short films on important subjects, such as the cooperation between Laos and Vietnam and various activities of the Lao government from the past to the present.

Later this year, these short films will be screened in the five minutes before the main feature films begin.

“We have ordered more projector equipment from overseas for our two theatres,” Mr Chamlong said.

Source: vientianetimes via laosmile