 From the beginning an international release of the film was intended ; as English is considered a key language in international film festivals , English subtitles were prepared . The translation was handled by Ian MacDougall . He believed that the workings of the mortician 's world were as far from the experience of most Japanese as from that of a non @-@ Japanese audience . As such he felt a faithful translation was best , without going far to accommodate foreign audiences to unfamiliar cross @-@ cultural elements . 
