“It is the task of the translator to release in his own language that pure language that is under the spell of another, to liberate the language imprisoned in a work in his re-creation of that work.”
by Walter Benjamin in Illuminations: Essays and Reflections.

I am a translator, screenwriter and independent film director, located in Portugal, and I am passionate about languages. I work with the language pairs English > Portuguese, Portuguese > English and French > Portuguese.

I believe that the worlds of words and visual signs share the same inception: imagination and intellect, and that the tracing of the semiotic bridges that connect each background, is a definite key to unlock sustainable cross-cultural development, cooperation and understanding.

My goal is to provide a reliable collaboration with full language proficiency, comprehensive research and thorough attention to detail, while maintaining the commitment to abide by the client's guidelines, specific needs and deadlines.

I have spent more than four years in English-language immersion, while pursuing a master's degree in the USA, with a study-abroad scholarship for advanced artistic studies from the Calouste Gulbenkian and the Luso-American Foundations.

As language certifications, I have a Certificate of Proficiency in English, TOEFL, and the Test de Connaissance du Français. In addition to a Master in Fine Arts in Cinema degree, awarded by the San Francisco State University, I hold a Bachelor’s diploma in Art History from the Universidade Nova de Lisboa.

Now based off Glasgow, and parallel to my activity as a screenwriter, I have worked as a translator and interpreter, further improving my skills while living in foreign language immersion.

In order to advance professionally in that additional passion, I have also completed one semester towards a BS degree in Translation Studies at the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, in my home town, Leiria, in order to get updated with the latest evolvements of the Portuguese language and grammar.


Thank you for reading,

Joana Martins
Screenwriter and Translator