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Akofa Edjeani, a filmmaker, Pan Africanist, and executive of the Ghana Culture Forum, has said that movies are a great means for individuals to tell their tales.
It is always in your best interest to tell “your tale yourself because if you leave it to others to do it for them, they will twist it and distort it to favour themselves,” she said.
She told host Eunice Toryni of e.tv Ghana’s ‘African Women’s Voices,’ “So you have to tell your own narrative because you will be truthful and you will know how to express it better than anybody else. When it comes to telling our story, cinema is the most effective and ethical option.
The colonial overlords, she claims, would often employ films to educate their subjects.
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She explained how the medium of cinema was used to influence viewers’ behavior: “They utilized film to educate us how to sip tea, how to dress, or what to wear, and till today, we’re still doing what they taught us.”
As a symbol of the creative community, she said, this is why she gives careful consideration to her wardrobe choices.
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Moreover, I consider cultural matters of the highest importance. Since I’ve been in Ghana for the last 30 years or so, I’ve made it a point to always be well-known for my distinctive style, which consists mostly of traditional African garments and accessories.
So it’s a deliberate decision on my part, and when I produce a movie, I make sure to put those things in there because I know what my nation and Africa as a continent stand to profit from doing so,” she said.
This, she said, is why Ghanaians must have “that conscience while producing a movie and agree on what they want out there it” if they are serious about telling their narrative.
People are terrified of the unknown and the film is a great way to let them know you care about them and let them see where you’re coming from and where you want to go. You brand both yourself and your nation based on the messages you send out in your film, she said.
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