Die Frau mit den 5 Elefanten

Swetlana Geier is considered the greatest translator of Russian literature into German. Her new translations of Dostoyevsky's five great novels, known as the "five elephants", are her life's work and literary mile-stones.
"The concept of transportation is not an adequate metaphor for translation. It is not transportation, since the luggage never arrives. I've always been interested in the losses. By what always has to be left outside that which has been newly created, the translation." Her work is characterised by a great and sensual feeling for language and uncompromising respect for the writers she translates. The standard she sets for her translations is that their encapsulated spirit must correspond to the essence of the author. At the same time, she is aware that every translation is, in the end, an incomplete work, bound to the era of its creation. She says: "Translations are mortal. Every epoch deserves its own translations." (Funfilm Distribution)