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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 26 OCTOBER 2014 35 THIS WEEK Hearing is believing Veteran actor Paul Eiding has held vigil over a number of enduring pop culture properties. Mainly distinguished by his voice over work for video games like Metal Gear Solid and God of War, the hard working actor has also lent his voice to Pixar blockbusters Wall-E, Up and Monsters Inc, and appeared in shows like Grey's Anatomy and CSI Miami. He speaks to TEODOR RELJIC ahead of his visit to the Malta Comics and Pop Culture Expo What is the key difference be- tween doing voice-over work and performing film and on the stage? Working on film or television is great fun, but an actor is often lim- ited by their appearance. It's often said that film is a director's me- dium, television a producer's, and stage, the actor's. Voiceover, to me, is a true collaboration. Writer, pro- ducer, actor and animator. Another great thing about voiceover is, you're only limited by your talent. My age and appearance doesn't matter. I can be anything. Troll, wizard, hero, villain, big dumb oaf, 6'4" Marine, or 90 year old mage. Incredibly free- ing! Performing on stage is probably my favorite. I began as a stage actor and continue to this day. The 'live theatre' experience is a shared event, which only happens once. You may perform in a show for weeks, but each performance, with each differ- ent audience, is unique. What was it like performing as part of the US military in Germa- ny? How does creativity manifest itself and filter out in those sur- roundings? While in the military, I was in- credibly lucky to land in a group called, The Marne Glee Club. We were with the 3rd Infantry Division, stationed in Wurzburg, Germany. I was one of the youngest GIs in the group, but because of my music background, I soon became the di- rector. About half the group were professional musicians and actors. I was blessed to work with these amazing soldiers. We were not un- like a 'Bob Hope' sort of entertain- ment group. We performed across Germany, Belgium, Denmark and northern France, for soldiers and civilian populations, as well. To be honest, my time in the military helped me decide to become an ac- tor, as I was surrounded by so many talented pros. Between work for feature films, television, animation, theatre and video games, it seems as though you're always kept busy. Would you say that your career path is in some ways the polar opposite of the perception we have of more mainstream Hollywood actors? Michael Caine, when asked how he crafted such an amazing career, said simply... "I took what was offered." Similarly, aside from turning down jobs that took me away from home, while our daughters were young, I've taken what's been offered. What do you think makes Metal Gear Solid such an enduring and beloved property among fans? Metal Gear Solid changed the face of video games. I feel so very lucky to have been a small part of the game. The game play is wonderful, the cin- ematic quality, the characters and the story are all reasons, in my opin- ion, why MGS has not just lasted, but increased in popularity. Gamers are so incredibly loyal to the games and to we lucky ones, who get to voice the characters. I absolutely love at- tending cons, so I can meet fans of the games and thank them. With- out them, we actors are nothing. I love the passion folks have for their favourites, be they characters from anime, cartoons, games or film and television. Passion for something, (caveat – as long as its legal and not hurting anyone) is something we all need to embrace. The Malta Comics and Pop Cul- ture Expo will take place at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta on October 31, Novem- ber 1 and 2. For more information log on to http://www.maltacomic- sexpo.com/ LAST year a French Bookshop participated at the National Book Festival for the first time, thanks to the French Embassy in Malta. This year round, the bookshop will be present once again and a major French author, Pierre Assouline, will be brought over thanks to the National Book Council and the French Embassy. National Book Council chairman Mark Camilleri said that such a collaboration is essential to ensure that the local literary scenario does not become "insular". "Our financial support structures prioritise local publishers and local authors, but foreign inf luence is essential in a small and insular so- ciety. We can't mature and develop in cultural and intellectual terms if we don't absorb foreign inf lu- ences," Camilleri said. According to Camilleri, the par- ticipating bookstore, La Boccherie, was chosen by the French Embassy and is supported by the Embassy itself "since they consider the ini- tiative as a way to spread French culture in foreign countries". "We are very happy with their choice since the bookstore has a mix of contemporary titles and classics," Camilleri added. Increased foreign participation in fact distinguishes this edition of the Festival from the previous year. Thanks to the Italian Cultural Institute, Editore Morrone will be present at the Festival representing his publishing house and 10 other publishers along with a contingent of authors who will be delivering talks. Thanks to Bookmark and the Department of Spanish we will be having a lecturer from the Sociedad General Espanola de Libreria who will be deliver- ing lectures to Spanish students and the general public. Hori- zons will also be bringing over two foreign authors of whose books have been translated in Malta. "The most important benefit of foreign participation is con- ceptual – that is, to bring over foreign cultural inf luences in a small and insular soci- ety. And the second benefit is more practical: when the local market gets into contact with these foreign participants, potential is created. Contacts and relationships can be built which can eventually help local literature move across borders," Camilleri said. "We would like to cre- ate a situation in which lo- cal publishers and authors would have greater access to foreign markets, but it is also up to the publishers and authors to make an effort to exploit these situations. This is not easy of course and won't be done over- night because relationships are built across a period of years," he added. The National Book Festi- val will be taking place at the Mediterranean Con- ference Centre in Valletta, from November 12-16 Book Festival prepares to make 'the French connection' Foreign participants at the National Book Festival Saturday November 15 11:00 – Temi Żammit Hall. The Embassy of France along with the National Book Council invites you to meet Pierre Assouline – journalist, writer and member of the Académie Goncourt for a public interview by Anthony Aq- uilina. 12:30 – Common Area. Presenta- tion for students of Spanish enti- tled 'Spanish culture' by Carlos Barroso García – Coordinator of Spanish Department and repre- sentative from Sociedad General Espanola de Libreria (SGEL). 18:00 – Common Area. 'Why learn Spanish / The importance of Spanish in the 21st century' with Carlos Barroso García - Co- ordinator of Spanish Department and representative from Socie- dad General Espanola de Libreria (SGEL). 18:30 – Temi Żammit Hall. Ho- rizons invites you to two book launches: 'The Blonde Formula' a translation into English by Becky d'Ugo of Federica Brunini's 'La Matematica delle Bionde' and 'Ostaġġ tat-Tielet Reich' a trans- lation into Maltese of Fey von Hassell's acclaimed 'A Mother's War' by Tony C. Cutajar. Federica Brunini and Almuth von Hassell will be present for the occasion. Paul Eiding