The Translators

The Translators

Year: 2019

Runtime: 105 mins

Language: French

Director: Régis Roinsard

Echo Score: 73

Budget: $10M

MysteryThrillerThrillers and murder mysteriesIntriguing and suspenseful murder mysteriesPowerful poetic and passionate drama

Nine translators, hired to translate the eagerly awaited final book of a bestselling trilogy, are confined in a luxurious bunker.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – The Translators (2019)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Translators (2019). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Contemporary (21st century)

The events unfold in a modern era, with current security technologies and digital communication shaping the crisis. A ransom demand and online leaks drive the plot, underscoring concerns about intellectual property and secrecy in contemporary publishing. The bunker setting reinforces a present-day thriller atmosphere rather than a historical period.

Location

Bunker Translation Facility

An underground bunker hosts the translation project, housing nine translators under tight security. The space is sealed off from the outside world to prevent data leaks while the book is translated in shifts. The claustrophobic environment heightens tension as pressure, mistrust, and hidden agendas emerge.

🏢 Bunker 🔒 Security 📚 Translation project 🧭 Isolation

Last Updated: October 14, 2025 at 03:58

Main Characters – The Translators (2019)

Meet the key characters of The Translators (2019), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Javier Casal (Eduardo Noriega)

A translator housed in the bunker, Casal navigates the pressure-filled environment with caution and focus. He forms part of the fragile group dynamic while trying to protect the manuscript from leaks and sabotage. His patience is tested as deadlines loom and mistrust grows among the translators.

🧠 Translator 🤝 Team player

Katerina Anisinova (Olga Kurylenko)

The Russian translator whose loyalty is tested as fear and coercion escalate. Katerina becomes a focal point in the conflict, forced to balance discretion with the need to survive. Her decisions reveal resilience under extreme pressure.

🧠 Translator

Éric Angstrom (Lambert Wilson)

The publisher who organizes the translation project and wields coercion to secure a ransom. Angstrom epitomizes greed and manipulation, using the translators as leverage while concealing his own vulnerability. He becomes the central antagonist whose methods provoke lethal consequences.

💼 Publisher 🗝️ Manipulator

Alex Goodman (Alex Lawther)

The English translator who plots to steal the manuscript and secretly collaborates with others to copy the book. He navigates the line between collaboration and betrayal, exploiting the bunker’s isolation. His later confession reveals a deeper connection to the author figure Oscar Brach.

🕵️ Detective

Helene Tuxen (Sidse Babett Knudsen)

The Danish translator who succumbs to the mounting pressure and commits suicide, illustrating the brutal mental toll of the situation. Her fate underscores the human cost of secrecy and greed. Her presence heightens the sense of danger in the bunker.

💔 Tragic

Georges Fontaine (Patrick Bauchau)

The bookseller who is entangled in the plot and ultimately killed by Angstrom. His relationship with Goodman hints at a personal stake in the novel’s fate. His murder marks a turning point and exposes the darker side of the publishing world.

🎯 Bookseller

Last Updated: October 14, 2025 at 03:58

Major Themes – The Translators (2019)

Explore the central themes of The Translators (2019), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💼 Power & Greed

A publisher uses the translation project as a leverage tool, imposing extreme pressure to control outcomes. The ransom demand exposes how money dictates access to cultural artifacts. The film critiques commodification of literature and the exploitation of creators for profit.

💔 Betrayal & Trust

Mistrust spreads quickly as participants suspect each other of sabotage and collusion. Angstrom's brutality and Goodman's double game fracture the group's cohesion. The confined setting amplifies the personal costs of deceit.

🎭 Identity & Authorship

The quest to identify the true author behind Dedalus drives the action, culminating in revelations about Oscar Brach. Translators assume disguises and roles to manipulate or protect the truth. The lines between author, translator, and pirate blur as power shifts.

🔒 Secrecy & Surveillance

Secrecy governs every move inside the bunker, with data protection and leaks threatening the project. The ransom and betrayals expose how confidentiality can be a weapon. The setting uses claustrophobic space to explore the costs of safeguarding or exposing information.

Last Updated: October 14, 2025 at 03:58

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The Translators Summary

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The Translators Summary

The Translators Timeline

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The Translators Timeline

The Translators Spoiler-Free Summary

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The Translators Spoiler-Free Summary

More About The Translators

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