In the world of dubbing in Israel Shafraira Zakai (91) is half God.
The one who created the Hebrew version over the years for many series and movies - including "The Power of Punch", "Tarzan", "Pinocchio", "Bambi", "Peter Pan", "Beauty and the Beast" and more - is considered a pioneer of the dubbing industry in Israel.
She is a translator, director, editor and producer.
Now she is at the center of "The Translator" - a new documentary-narrative podcast about her that will be released on February 6 right now, during the war.
God of dubbing.
Shafraira Zakhai, photo: Sharon Kahana
This is a documentary mini-series with three audio episodes that will be dedicated to the art of dubbing, translation and cinema, with an emphasis on Disney.
The first episode opens with the personal journey of the creator of the podcast, Uri Mashiach, and the interest he discovered in the art of cinematic animation and Hebrew dubbing as a teenager.
In the following, Fraira and Uri dive together into her private archive and move between the stations of her life, through her study, stories about the craft of writing a Hebrew translation for an animated film, casting for roles and the complex directing work in the recording studio.
From "Bambi", photo: Public Relations
"The film exists, its image exists, but it needs to be played and released," said Zakai.
According to Natan Dettner, "Shafraira is a perfectionist and didn't let a sentence disappear. Sessions of work and you would leave exhausted. But that's why Disney gave her this."
Eli Gorenstein, photo: Efrat Eshel
According to Eli Gorenstein: "Even though I did over 80 roles at Disney, I was tested for all of them. A voice is a person's identity card. My voice goes before me."
"The Translator" will appear on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and the official website.
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