Secondary Characters Coloring the Complex Cultural Atmosphere in Unorthodox

Abstract

The objective of this article is to analyze how different languages in the series Unorthodox convey information on characters’ identities, and whether, at the same time, the choice of language produces different effects on the film narrative itself. Since we are dealing with audiovisual products, in any full account of the story, the image must be considered as an essential factor affecting the audiences’ interpretation of the show. The article analyzes how multilingualism is rendered in its Spanish version and shows that different translation solutions may change how each character’s identity is perceived. We found that the main four languages of the series (English, Yiddish, German, and Hebrew) are used to convey different personal and social identities to each character. Besides, linguistic choices between Yiddish and English show the evolution of the main character towards freedom. Although multilingualism is hardly present in the visual channel, cultural references conveyed through images help the viewer to follow key shifts in the story.