Director Alfonso Cuaron has blasted the distributors of his film Roma for offering Iberian Spanish subtitles for the Mexico-set feature. The film, described as his most personal project till date, is currently available on Netflix for streaming and simultaneously, it also received a wide theatrical release in the US and Mexico. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Netflix film, which has now released in Spain, features Iberian Spanish subtitles for cinema-goers. It is also an option for viewers watching it on the streaming giant’s platform. Iberian Spanish, also referred to as Castilian Spanish, is the version of the language that is most commonly spoken in Spain. Cuaron, however, is not amused by the move. “I think, it’s very offensive to the Spanish public that they’ve given Roma Iberian-Spanish subtitles,” he told Spanish news agency Efe. The director again spoke on the matter in his interview with El Pais, a Spanish daily newspaper, saying the decision is similar to providing subtitles for a Pedro Almodovar film in Mexico. “It’s parochial, ignorant and offensive to Spaniards themselves. One of the things I most enjoy is the colour and texture of other accents. It’s as if Almodvar needs to be subtitled,” Cuaron said.
Published in Daily Times, January 12th 2019.
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