The Interpreters: A Historical Perspective (Interpreting at the UN 1945-1995) (EN)

This film is dedicated to – and celebrates – all interpreters. It illustrates how the profession developed from the League of Nations onwards, particularly with the introduction of simultaneous interpretation at the Nuremberg Trials, as many of the interpreters who worked there later became UN interpreters. Evelyn Moggio-Ortiz (AIIC) undertook the production of the film on the occasion of the UN’s 50th Anniversary in 1995. More than 60 interpreters of all generations, as well as ambassadors and other users of the interpretation services, were interviewed in New York, Paris and Geneva. The result of two years of work was “The Interpreters: A Historical Perspective.“ Sponsorship was obtained from Philips, the UN 50th Anniversary Oral History Project, the French Government,and AIIC. Evelyn, as the film’s creator and executive producer, commissioned Euro-Pacific Film and Video Production, represented by Mr. David Calderwood (producer and director) to work on the film. She also established a research working group composed of interpreters at the New York UN headquarters, representing the UN’s six official languages, which carried out research, and the translation and the voice-overs of the resulting video film. The film was produced in the six UN official languages. The UN Department of Public Information distributed it to UN information offices worldwide. It was an official part of the UN’s 50th Anniversary celebration program and its oral history project. It was premiered at UN headquarters in New York on November 20, 1995 to commemorate the date that the Nuremberg Trials began. It was awarded the UN 50th Anniversary Medal as well as a Telly Award, under the Documentary Video Film Category. E. Moggio Ortiz generously ceded copyright to AIIC and the United Nations. AIIC is proud to now include it on its Youtube channel. The video was reformatted in 2009 and the resulting DVD in English and French is available from AIIC. The DVD has a new section of the profession of interpreting and explains in detail the different techniques and modes of interpreting. For more information contact info@ © AIIC Website: Facebook: LinkedIn: YouTube: