Hitler's Mein Kampf dismemebered - International Contact, Inc. translates the film

March 7, 2010 - PRLog -- International Contact, Inc. provides English subtitles to
Our Struggle: Responding to Mein Kampf

Adolf Hitler’s book, Mein Kampf, is to be published in Germany for the first time since 1945. In San Francisco, the exhibition Notre Combat (Our Struggle) displays a  Mein Kampf dismembered and transformed by artists, writers, poets, musicians, film makers, journalists, victims, and students from all over the world.

Linda Ellia, the French painter and photographer who conceived the project says the object is to offer a collective response to the hatred, bigotry, intolerance, and discrimination presented in Hitler’s book. After personally altering a number of the pages to express and transform her anger, Ellia invited hundreds of strangers, selected 600 of their submissions and collected them in a book that fulfills her desire to transform Hitler’s odious rants.

Notre Combat (Our Struggle,) the artwork and book, opens its first North American showing in San Francisco in February.  L’Art et la Maniere, a documentary that depicts the pain that originated the project and the cathartic release that ensued from Notre Combat (Our Struggle) is narrated in French by the artist herself.

International Contact, Inc., a Multilanguage communications agency based in Oakland, California, was selected by the Contemporary Jewish Museum to provide the English subtitles for this moving testimonial of the intent to transform one of the most incendiary books of the 20th Century.

“The process of translation was very interesting,” says Norma Armon, PhD, the Chairman and Creative Director of International Contact. “The challenge posed began with the title of the book itself.”

The title of Hitler’s book is generally known in English as “My Struggle” but in French it has traditionally been rendered as “Mon Combat” to which Ellia refers in the title of her artistic transformation, “Notre Combat (Our Struggle).”  The option of using Our Combat - the exact English equivalent - in the subtitles of the documentary was discussed at length, as the translators sought to reference Ellia’s artistic intent more closely.  The decision was made to use “Our Struggle” to refer back to the original title as it is known to English-speakers.    

“International Contact has built its reputation by making sure that we don’t just provide translation, ” adds Carla Itzkowich, the Executive Director. “and this is especially important when producing a piece for public exhibition. Most of our work is for corporate and marketing applications so it was rewarding to work with the museum on the first presentation in the U.S. of this exhibit.”

HI-RES IMAGES AVAILABLE at www.thecjm.org/imagegallery, images must be accompanied by the appropriate credit information given on this site.

Image above:

From the project Notre Combat by Linda Ellia; one of six hundred works on paper; artist; Philippe Marchand; 8 ¾ x 5 ½ inches; Paris, France; 2007. Courtesy of the Contemporary Jewish Museum.Exhibition Credit
“Our Struggle”: Responding to Mein Kampf has been organized by the Contemporary Jewish Museum with the generous support of the Jewish Community Federation Holocaust Memorial Education Fund, the Cultural Services of the Consulate General of France, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

About the Contemporary Jewish Museum
With the opening of its new building on June 8, 2008, the Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM) ushered in a new chapter in its twenty-plus year history of engaging audiences and artists in exploring contemporary perspectives on Jewish culture, history, art, and ideas. The new facility, designed by internationally renowned architect Daniel Libeskind, is a lively center where people of all ages and backgrounds can gather to experience art, share diverse perspectives, and engage in hands-on activities. Inspired by the Hebrew phrase “L’Chaim” (To Life), the building is a physical embodiment of the CJM’s mission to bring together tradition and innovation in an exploration of the Jewish experience in the 21st century.
General Museum Information
The Museum is open daily (except Wednesday) 11 AM – 5 PM and Thursday, 1 – 8 PM. Museum admission is $10.00 for adults, $8.00 for students and senior citizens with a valid ID, and $5 on Thursdays after 5 PM. Youth 18 and under always get in free. For general information on the Contemporary Jewish Museum, the public may visit the Museum’s Web site at thecjm.org or call 415.655.7800. The Contemporary Jewish Museum is located at 736 Mission Street (between 3rd & 4th streets), San Francisco.

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