Star Wars film newly dubbed in Ojibway will give ‘boost’ to the language, its Darth Vader actor says [Video]

The original Star Wars film, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, has been translated into over 50 languages.

Norwegian, French, Icelandic, Navajo — and now Ojibway.

Dennis Daminos Chartrand, a member of Pine Creek First Nation who voices Darth Vader in the film and helped translate the original text, says he hopes having his language incorporated into the “iconic” film will promote it — not just within his community, but beyond.

Chartrand spoke with Day 6 host Brent Bambury ahead of the film’s release on the national Indigenous broadcast channel APTN next month, and just days after the death of original Darth Vader actor James Earl Jones. He spoke about his hopes for the film, challenges translating the story into Ojibway and why Star Wars resonates so much with him as an Indigenous person. Here is part of their conversation.

[Star Wars: A New Hope] came out 47 years ago. Now, for the second time, it’s being dubbed into an Indigenous language. What is it about this movie …