Jesus film set to be translated into its 2,100th language 

The record-breaking JESUS film (1979) is set to be launched in its 2,100^th translation. The movie has been translated into Waorani, a language spoken by approximately 3,000 indigenous people of Amazonian Ecuador, with the film premiering in early 2024 among the Waorani people.  

The Jesus film was officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the most-translated film of all time when it surpassed 817 translations.  

It remains the world’s most translated film. 

Chris Deckert is the Jesus Film Project’s Director of Language Studios. 

“The translation of our telling of Jesus’ story into the Waorani language is notable considering the history of Christianity with the Waorani tribe. This initiative was made possible through collaboration between Jesus Film Project and a consortium of indigenous groups, along with the agreement and support of the Waorani elders.” 

Josh Newell is Executive Director of the Jesus Film Project. 

 “The ability to release the Jesus film in Waorani is the result of our incredible team’s hard work and dedication,” he said. 

“We want to ensure the accessibility of the film, not just in the world’s most widely spoken languages but also in the heart language of every community. We look forward to witnessing the transformative power of this film among the Waorani people.” 

Following the translation process, which involved indigenous Waorani speakers, an official Translation Advisor, and input from the tribespeople, the script was translated in two weeks.  

The recording team then spent eight days with the Waorani people.  

A Dialogue Director found 26 everyday individuals from the Waorani to voice act and dub the film, recruiting people from all over the Waorani group, in different villages, with different accents.  

The translation workshops often develop more than one language at a time.  

The journey to reach the first 1,000 language translations took Jesus Film Project 32 years, while the subsequent 1,000 languages have been achieved in a little over a decade. 

The 2,100th coincides with the upcoming November announcement of Jesus Film Project’s new animated story of Jesus.  

For more information on the Jesus film visit the official websote asj.jesusfilm.org.