This research paper, rooted in film studies and audiovisual translation, explores the central role played by memory in shaping the atmosphere of cinematic narratives and the characters’ identities, and delves into the craft of blended subtitling. By influencing character motivation, perception, and transformation, memory functions not only as a psychological force but also as a storytelling mechanism. The elements of filmic environments become agents that reflect memory, or clues enabling viewers to differentiate between layers of filmic reality. Blended subtitles, a creative form of interlingual or intralingual subtitling closely aligned with the aesthetics of the audiovisual content, differ from standard subtitles because they rely on non-standard placement, animation and graphic design to enhance multimodal cohesion and increase audience engagement. Our examples of blended subtitles emulate the characters’ psychological journey, and capture the emotional atmosphere crafted through visual composition, editing and sound design in Inception (2010), Shutter Island (2010), 21 Grams (2003) and Fight Club (1999).
Eliza Claudia Filimon is a PhD Associate Professor of Film Studies, Literary and Audiovisual Translation and the Director of the MA ‘The Theory and Practice of Translation’ at the West University of Timisoara, Romania. Awarded the title of Professor Bologna in 2018, Eliza is a member of the European Film Academy. She served as a member of the Steering Committee of the European Parliament terminology unit DG TRAD-Term Coord- YOURTERM (2019-2021). She is currently a Board member of the European networks ICC (International Language Conferences) and PETRA-E (European Association for the Training of Literary Translators). Eliza is an active member of international assessment boards in the fields of Film, Art and Language and a passionate literary and audiovisual translator.
Robert Marcu is an EFL teacher and an MA student at the Theory and Practice of Translation programme of the West University of Timișoara. He runs weekly workshops on Rhetoric and Critical thinking for young adults. His research covers language studies and translation studies. He is an international assessor in literary awards (ELGIN of SFPA - Science Fiction Poetry Association) and a judge for IFF (International Film Festival) platform. He is a literary translator and the translation editor of the SFF magazine Galaxia42. He is collaborating in projects mixing technology, language and translation with colleagues from international academic institutions, such as the European Parliament. His research and practice cover multimedia editing, and he is involved in voice training and transcription for educational purposes, as well as localisation projects on accessibility for the blind and visually impaired audiences.
