Welcome to Est. 1999, the official blog of Abraham Translations. As is perhaps easy to surmise, the name of this blog reflects the year that Abraham Translations was founded.
It all began with the correction of a few texts that had been translated by another time-pressed translator. Within the year, translating had become my main source of income; now, it has long been the only way I put bacon on the table.
I am rather proud of many of the projects on which I have worked.
Est. 1999, basically, is a visual confirmation of past projects, a blowing of my own horn, a presentation of translator-related topics, and an occasional departure into other areas that I deem worthy of presenting. Enjoy.

Sunday 8 May 2016

Iceland's Artists and Sagas / Islands Künstler und die Sagas (2011)

(Documentary, 52 min, HD, 2011; A Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion in coproduction with ZDF, Navigator Film, RUV, ORF and Swiss Television, in cooperation with ARTE. Idea und concept, Helga Brekkan & Annette Brüggemann; direction, Helga Brekkan.)
Sometime in 2010, I translated the voiceover text for this documentary into English. Released in 2011, Iceland's Artists and the Sagas is narrated by the talented actress and voiceover artist, Priscilla Bergey, whom I am more than willing to recommend to anyone in need of a narrator for a film project.
To simply quote the Gebrueder Beetz press release: "Frosty glaciers and hot springs, dark winter days and bright summer nights – Iceland is a country of the extremes. Not only is the nature in Iceland astonishing: ancient sagas, crime stories, eccentric video art, and enigmatic music are a testimonial for the country's unique art scene. The small island in the Atlantic Ocean is not just a geological hotspot, but also a creative one. In times like these, with the impacts of the global financial crisis visible everywhere in Iceland, the values of these cultural resources become evident. The bubble of fast money has burst, but people still have their fantasy, their poetry and their ability to tell a good tale to hold on to. After all, it was Icelandic sagas that gave birth to the hero, the story of an individual human being, long before the first European medieval romance thought of it. […] The documentary Iceland's Artists and the Sagas not only gives an insight into the creative energy of the country; following the steps of some of Iceland's most famous artists, writers and musicians, it also explores the very nature of this creativity that drives and defines an entire country."

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