Author’s translation as a special form of film translation in Russia

Doklady Bashkirskogo Universiteta. 2026. Volume 11. No. 1. pp. 128-137.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33184/dokbsu-2026.1.14

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The article examines the phenomenon of “author’s translation” as a unique form of film translation that emerged in Russia during the VHS era. It demonstrates that author’s translation differs from dubbing, subtitling and voice-over by its high degree of subjectivity, expressive intonation, and cultural adaptation, which turn the translator into a co-author of the audiovisual work. The historical evolution of the genre is traced – from unofficial translations of the 1980s–1990s to modern Internet studios. Special attention is paid to a comparative analysis of the original version of the animated film “9” (2009) and its Russian dubbing author’s translation, revealing differences in lexical accuracy, stylistics, genre adequacy, and cultural transformations. Author’s translation is presented as a local cultural phenomenon with limited international analogues that still retains significance in the contemporary media environment.