Producers discuss international remakes at panel hosted by BIMM University Berlin
Filmmaking students enjoyed an expert discussion on local-language adaptation with the creators of French-language Canadian drama Plan B, the international distributors and the producer of the German adaptation.
Whether it be (as Bong Joon-Ho famously stated as he accepted his ‘Best Picture’ award at the 2020 Oscars) “overcom[ing] the 1-inch tall barrier of subtitles” or watching a film dubbed into your mother tongue, audiences around the world are more and more accepting of watching TV and films in a foreign language.
Despite this, the remakes business is booming, particularly for non-English to non-English adaptations. One such production is hit Quebecois show ‘Plan B’, created by Jean-François Asselin and Jacques Drolet. First created in French, local language adaptations have since appeared across North America and Europe.
Creators of Plan B: Jean-François Asselin and Jacques Drolet
The latest of these adaptations will be in German, with the Canadian English version being adapted for release by German national broadcaster ZDF. This will mark the first time a Canadian show has been adapted for German screens.
To celebrate this, the Canadian Embassy arranged a panel with the show’s creators (Asselin and Drolet), distributor (Barbara Vallant) and producer of the German adaptation (Lina Zopfs). This masterclass was hosted inside our screening room at Molecule Studios with filmmaking students, film industry professionals and embassy guests in attendance.
For our students this was a great opportunity to delve into all the how’s and whys of local language adaptation with a range of industry perspectives. Plus, with the opportunity to network with the panellists, students got expert advice and were able to ask any further questions.
A special thank you the Canadian Embassy and the panellists for all their time and wisdom.
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