Poland’s unique dubbing style

In most countries, foreign films are either dubbed, where the original voice acting is replaced by a cast of local voice actors, or subbed, where the original voice acting is maintained and subtitles are used to translate it. Poland, however, is famous for a third option: the lektor.

The lektor is one of the most distinctive forms of audiovisual translation. It's a voiceover done by one speaker instead of a whole cast, and it's different from dubbing. Instead of giving every character a separate Polish voice, all of the characters (men, women, children, heroes, villains, romantic leads, background characters) are voiced by the same person. The original audio usually remains somewhat audible underneath the voiceover.

The narrator doesn't act out every role in the same way that a dubbing actor would. The lektor simply translates the piece of media to allow the viewer to hear the meaning in Polish while still perceiving the original voice acting in the background.

For example, in a German or French dub the goal is to make the foreign film feel as if it was originally spoken in the target language, and the original voices disappear. The performance is rebuilt with a new cast of voice actors. In Poland, the viewer stays aware that this is a foreign film being interpreted in Polish.

Practicality is one of the reasons the lektor became so common. Fully dubbing a piece of media requires a cast of voice actors, a director, and often a studio. Lektor translation is much simpler, because one translated script and one professional voice can make a foreign film accessible to a large audience. This was an efficient and affordable choice for TV broadcasters. Over time, however, the lektor became a cultural habit. Many generations of Polish viewers grew up watching foreign films this way.

For people outside Poland, the most surprising part is how little emotion the lektor style uses when translating. In many cases, the voice is intentionally subdued in order to not distract from the original actors. The viewer can still hear shouting, crying, laughter, accents, and background emotion, while the Polish voice serves the translation.

Of course, the style also has disadvantages: it flattens emotions, and it makes every character sound the same, and fast dialogue can become too busy, especially when the original audio and the Polish voice overlap. And for viewers used to subtitles or full dubbing the result might seem kind of funny.

Children’s films and animated movies are often dubbed because dubbing fits animation more naturally. Cinema audiences also encounter subtitles more often, especially for films aimed at adults or international audiences. But on Polish television, the lektor still has a strong presence.

Streaming platforms are changing the situation. Nowadays, younger viewers can choose between Polish lektor, Polish dubbing, subtitles, or the original audio. Fans of anime, Korean dramas, or English-language series might prefer to hear the original voice acting. Language learners often choose subtitles. But the same time, many Polish viewers still find the lektor easier to watch, and sometimes better quality than Polish dubs.

Thus, the lektor is not "bad dubbing", even if it can seem so to outsiders.

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