Just As I Thought

Ik wens dit ik het Nederlands sprak

Yesterday I arrived home to find a package on my doorstep–it was a DVD from the Netherlands that I ordered a few weeks ago, of the fun movie “Ja Zuster, Nee Zuster”.
I went to see this film at the Reel Affirmations Film Festival last month, and laughed my head off.
It’s a kind of remake/tribute to a musical Dutch television program from the late 60s, about a group of misfits who live in a “rest house” with a nurse. I didn’t realize this until the end credits, but some things suddenly made sense–it was sort of the Dutch version of the Brady Bunch Movie satire.
The version I saw in the theatre had English subtitles. Not so for this DVD. I stayed up a bit last night watching it, enjoying it–but not understanding it. I thought to myself, “Self, why don’t you try translating it and then you can read along?” So, I did. Here’s an example of what the Systran translator spat out:

you this way only run in rain young lady
I can accompany you eindje
nou I am there actual against Mr
that will tell I you but without delay
pardon young lady but t regent this way
bowl gives you me an arm

I think I’ll just keep watching it in Dutch, smiling and nodding as if I understand.

2 comments

  • From Free Record Shop (http://www.freerecordshop.com). Be aware: the prices are in Euros, the DVD has no English soundtrack or subtitles, and the disc won’t play in conventional US (Region 1) DVD players — you need a multiregion DVD player which can convert PAL to NTSC.
    A lot of work to watch this movie… but it’s still worth it!

  • Where did you order this DVD from? I saw this thing at the Seattle Film Festival and it was fantastic!

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