Scaling Epics and Decoding Minds: Subtitling Lawrence of Arabia and Moriarty
Translating a book allows you the luxury of page space, but subtitling a film is an exercise in ruthless precision. You have two lines, about forty characters, and a fraction of a second to capture a character’s entire emotional state without distracting the audience from the visual frame.
Translating the Rhythm: Ethnography and Sri Lankan Traditional Music
Working as a Translator and Research Assistant for Jim Sykes (University of Chicago) on his ethnography of Sri Lankan traditional music was a masterclass in cultural translation. It pulled me away from texts and plunged me directly into the lived experiences of our local artists and ritual practitioners.
Powering the Narrative: Scripting the UNDP Biomass Project
This was the core challenge of my work as the Script Writer, Translator, and Audio Visual Producer for the UNDP Biomass Project in Sri Lanka.
Biomass energy—utilizing agricultural and industrial waste to generate sustainable power—is a critical component of Sri Lanka's renewable energy future. But explaining the intricacies of biomass supply chains, gasification technologies, and carbon footprints requires more than just accurate linguistic translation; it requires compelling narrative structure.
Amplifying the Unheard: Translation and Storytelling for ‘Water Voices’
When I joined the Global Water Forum’s Water Voices program as a Translator and Audio Visual Producer, the mission was to document and amplify the lived experiences of people navigating complex water challenges. This project required a very different kind of linguistic approach. I wasn't translating a static academic document or a legal framework; I was translating human emotion, urgency, and survival.