“…Even if it is being
shown on TV for free, you feel reluctant to watch. The movie is sick and you
are scared of being infected.”
When the ambulance arrived the nurses and the
paramedics quickly lifted him on to the trolley and shouted give way! Give way!
They speed him through the crowds into the ambulance.
They arrived at Korle Bu in no time. Doctors
on alert quickly received him and detected there were no signs of life in him.
After a few rounds of electrolyte the computer screen starts to beep, his
fingers moved showing signs of life again.
The doctors smile looking at each others
faces; now they turn to the task of restoring him back to former glory. The
other patients looked on curiously, amazed at this new patient. They couldn’t
ask the doctors on duty fearing they would be told to mind their own business.
A young man walked-in wailing. He consoles
himself by sitting anxiously waiting for the news of the new patient. The
doctors were still busy and would say nothing.
Silent and filled with sorrow his asked. What
is wrong with our Ghana
film industry? Is our film industry growing? In what direction? What is the
yardstick for measuring the growth and health of a film industry? Is it the
money? Quantity of movies made? Number of people the industry employs? What do
you have in mind as the growth and health factor? Think! Think! From the young
man’s questions the other patients got the picture of who this new patient was.
The perspective of a film analyst putting on
my surgery glasses, growth and health must go with quality and excellence. If
there has been any form of sickness inflicted on the film industry it would be
sacrificing quality on the altar of growth.
The young man did not get answers for his
questions. Carrying pain in his heart he continued and asked. Can we say the
low budget used in making Ghanaian movies has caused us to compromise on the
health and quality of the movies? Or the non availability of a healthy script
has been the cause of the quality sickness?
The kind voice of a friend whispered to him.
The cure is hard to come by, there are no research papers there are no surveys
no autopsy reports, nothing. And nobody cares- they are busy digesting
political issues. If you doubt that try looking for surgeon to tell you about
the health of Ghanaian movies.
The young man hearing as answer feels
slightly relief he added. Occasionally you pick up a Ghanaian movie to watch.
The excitement just runs down because individually you know the quality has
been sacrifice in the name of only heavens know what. Even if it is being shown
on TV for free, you feel reluctant to watch. The movie is sick and you are
scared of being infected.
However, when the works of some filmmakers
are analyzed we get a flicker of hope. The number of good filmmakers is so so
so small that it is the elite that buy these movies. Very few health centres
with facilities to cure Ghanaian movies of it sickness are available in places
where only the rich can access. No names will be mention in this article but
your guess is as good as mine.
In the coming days and months we are going to
dig down deep and cut into the heart of these matters to bring the facts up to
the surface: put them under the microscope for careful scrutiny. We would be
carrying some parts to the laboratory for further studies.
Raw nerves will be touched, tempers will
flair up, eyes will roll backwards, and others will giggle and smile while
others will laugh out loud.
But in all it would be a healthy exercise to
breath life back into a sick film industry. To the light hearted my advice; go
listen to Chris De Burgh’s song “Come Carry Me Like A Fire in Your Heart.” It
would help keep your heart at peace.
By: Sharperarrows (Film
Analyst)
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