Catalan Language Use in New Film “My Friend eva” Faced Potential Dubbing Mandate, Director Reveals
MADRID – Director Cesc Gay says his new film, “My Friend Eva,” which authentically portrays the linguistic reality of Barcelona, nearly faced a requirement to be dubbed into Spanish due to its use of Catalan. Gay revealed that had the film included a significant percentage of Catalan dialog,distributors would have likely forced him to provide a Spanish-dubbed version for wider release,particularly in markets outside of Catalonia.
“If I had gone from a percentage of Catalan, they would have forced me to fold it,” Gay stated, using the industry term for dubbing. He explained that even in Madrid, he anticipates potential criticism: “In a movie theater here [Madrid] they would have told me: ‘I really like your movie, but give it folded because there is too much Catalan.'”
The film, arriving in theaters September 19th, features both Catalan and Spanish dialogue, reflecting the natural code-switching common among residents of Barcelona. Actress Nora navas echoed this reality, noting, “In my house or with friends we talked in Catalan and Castilian in any conversation you constantly change.”
Gay deliberately cast Catalan actors for Catalan-speaking roles and non-Barcelona actors for Spanish-speaking roles to maintain authenticity. While he expressed a desire for a more balanced bilingual presentation, he feared the repercussions of exceeding a certain threshold of Catalan dialogue, citing a pattern of resistance to languages other than Spanish, even comparing it to attitudes towards French.
“my Friend eva” is structured in six acts, focusing on both the separation and subsequent new beginnings of its protagonist, and is described as “like a blow of fresh air, enjoyment, everyday life, life” by Navas. The film intentionally avoids a definitive ending, leaving interpretation open to the audience.