Yer Dinnae Ken, Pal? Scots Film May Get Sub-Titles
Mon Jul 22,10:27 PM ET
LONDON (Reuters) - Neighbors and rivals for centuries, the Scots and the English have always had different schools and law courts. Now it seems they don't speak the same language.
A film set in Scotland may be sub-titled to help audiences south of the border follow the action, the Independent newspaper reported on Tuesday.
"Sweet Sixteen" -- a Ken Loach film about a Glasgow teenager looking forward to the release from prison of his drug addict mother -- uses amateur actors in the lead roles, prompting fears the local dialects will be difficult to follow.
"Sub-titles would give a non-Scottish audience a chance to adjust to the language without missing any of the story at an early stage," Zak Brilliant of Icon Films told the newspaper.
When the film was shown at Cannes earlier this year it had French and English sub-titles.
It is not the first time English-speaking audiences have had difficulty with strong Scottish accents.
"Trainspotting," the iconic drug film of the 1990s, was sub-titled for U.S. audiences because the Edinburgh accents were deemed too difficult to follow.
Re: Yer Dinnae Ken, Pal? Scots Film May Get Sub-Titles
That is funny and understandable at the same time. I must admit, however, that I only recall one scene in "Trainspotting" having subtitles in it when I saw it.
Bacon Melody
"True Happiness stems from bringing joy to others." -Helen Keller
Re: Yer Dinnae Ken, Pal? Scots Film May Get Sub-Titles
I don't remember Trainspotting that well in all honesty. I was totally smas... um... I was very tired when I went to see it.