Film Talker: Da Wei, Film Narrator For the Blind

Da Wei is that guy in the movie theater who’s always commenting loudly on the action as it happens. The difference is that his fellow moviegoers love him for it. Being a film interpreter for the blind has brought Da Wei close to bankruptcy more than once. Even so, seven years down the road, he continues to narrate films, to organize community events and to train volunteers to connect the blind with the rest of us.

Why isn’t the audio of the film enough?
Film is like a museum or a treasure chest . Through verbalizing films, we are explaining life, events, status and much more to the blind to help them understand the world better.

What genre of film does your audiences prefer?
Old films. They often felt left out when they were younger.

Which genres are most difficult to narrate?
Horror, science fiction, and films with a very fast pace, multiple languages or with multiple characters. Movies like Inception are harder because you might not understand it even if you can see perfectly fine.

How many films have you narrated so far?
More than 300 films in seven years. Fifty films per year, with hardly any repeats.

Have you ever made a mistake that confused the audience?
We have a Q&A section at the end. Films can be very complicated to explain and you can’t stop in the middle of a film.

How many times do you watch a film beforehand?
It usually takes 2-3 days to prepare. I need to do research and practice to verbalize the visual.

What movie will you be narrating next?
Departures. A Japanese film about makeup artists for the dead.

Have you ever thought about helping deaf people?
Yes, but our resources are limited. For now, we assist the blind because they need the most help. If you blindfold yourself for three days, you will start to understand their life, but even then that’s not the same as never being able to see. It is up to us, the people connected by art and culture, to bring life back to these people in the forms of visual compensation techniques.

Can you watch a film without telling it?
I can’t watch without narrating now. I do it silently in my heart.

What do you like to watch when you’re not working?
Films about society, culture, emotions. None of the violent stuff – those films are irresponsible.

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Photo: Max Wu