Subtitling Strategies and Interpretative Choices in Rendering Quranic Verses into English In Documentaries

Abstract

Subtitling Quranic verses in documentary films presents unique linguistic, cultural, and interpretative challenges, yet it remains an underexplored area in audiovisual translation studies. Unlike traditional Quranic translation research, which primarily focuses on written translations of the text, this study examines how Quranic verses, when naturally integrated into the discourse of documentary films, are subtitled. Drawing on a dataset of 47 Quranic verses across 10 out of 29 investigated documentary films, this research analyses subtitling strategies in films that address social, political, and cultural issues in Arab and Islamic contexts. Using Al-Shlool’s (2023) taxonomy of subtitling Islamic cultural items (ICIs), the study categorises and evaluates the techniques employed to render Quranic verses while maintaining their contextual relevance within the films. It explores whether subtitlers prioritise semantic accuracy, brevity, or contextual adaptation, and examines how these choices influence the transmission of Quranic meanings within the broader narrative of the documentaries. The findings reveal key patterns in the representation of Quranic discourse in audiovisual media, highlighting the constraints imposed by subtitle space and time, as well as the interpretative decisions that shape the portrayal of the Quran within authentic spoken interactions in documentary storytelling. By exploring the complexities of subtitling sacred texts in non-religious contexts, this study contributes to both Qur'anic translation studies and audiovisual translation research. It offers new insights into the intersection of Qur'anic discourse, media, and linguistic adaptation, shedding light on how religious texts are mediated in contemporary documentary storytelling.