Educational Media Reviews Online

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s novella The Little Prince is one of the most translated pieces of literature in the world. Written as a children’s story (which may account in part for the high number of translations), Saint-Exupéry’s work explores broad themes of love, friendship, pride, and human nature. In Marjoleine Boonstra’s documentary The Miracle of the Little Prince, viewers are introduced to individuals who have provided translations into four languages currently under threat – Tibetan, Tamazight, Sámi, and Nawat. Not only do we hear the translators read segments of their work, we also get a glimpse into their personal lives and learn some of the reasons they became involved in translating The Little Prince.

Told in four segments (one for each language), the cinematography in Boonstra’s film is visually stunning. Subtitles are well executed, as is the overall pacing of the film. Each translator is interviewed and speaks a bit about how their culture influences the translation process. Unfortunately, Boonstra chooses not to focus heavily on these portions of the interviews, opting instead to spend more time on the personal journeys of the translators and on voiceovers of their respective translations of The Little Prince. As a result, the film lacks the depth necessary to make it absolutely essential for use in academic courses on translation, or in anthropology or cultural studies courses. Academic libraries with particularly deep collections in translation studies are likely the primary target for this film; it should be considered optional for most other libraries supporting translation studies or language and literature programs.