Friday, 8 September 2017

Afia Schwarzenegger’s Sex Scandal In The Light Of Religious Text








INTRO
She was caught in the act, pants down cheating on her husband. There are many, the yet to be caught, the contemplators to embark on similar mission, the repented and the trackers waiting patiently to laid hands with evidence on perpetuators of acts of adultery. You know best where you belong. 


THE PUBLIC
The reaction from the public has been whooha!! Some took Afia to the cleaners whiles other vent their venom on the husband for the manner he handled the situation, screaming and calling for his a** behind bars with some sitting on the fence and yelling-who are we to judge?
 

RELIGIOUS TEXT
Generally speaking, in the majority we all believe there is God and have name for Him in our local languages. He made us, put us on earth established His ways and granted us the free-will to make choices. That is why I can look up the sky and say there is no God and no thunder will strike me- am enjoying the liberties of free-will. The question pops up; has God something to tell us on the above sex scandal or acts similar in nature?


THE SCRIPTURES
And He speaks to us “Flee fornication. ………..he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body”- 1 Corinthians 6:15-19
Let us pretend we didn’t hear this warning from the scriptures, Mathew also walks in ringing his end time bells as he walks through the towns “Ye heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:”- Mathew 5:27
Of the Bible again, Proverbs 6:32 “But whoso committeh adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul”
For the Muslim the Quran speaks in chapter 17:32 “And come not near adultery. Lo! It is abomination and an evil way.” 
 

A PIECE OF MUSICAL NOTE
Simon & Garfunkel in the song –Sound of Silence- has these soothing words
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
The sign said “The words of the prophets are written on the subway wall”[…].

The warnings are there; written on the walls but humans we are hard at heart and headless. Had Afia played by the rules would there has been a price to pay on social media? Did the man played by the rules of marriage? You can challenge, argue and even build the finest of case for Afia but why not personally on your own try and break any of the laws of marriage and see if you can escape the fate that she suffered. Nature has a way of paying us back in our own coin by harvesting what we sow previously.


CONCLUSION
The saintly that did the work of God were only instructed to convey the message; whether the people heed or heed the lust in their heart was not their task. Sharparrows I am guessing by this I have contributed my quota to aid you in making an opinion. I think I am hearing a call from the minaret; I have to quicken my steps, C-yah.


Friday, 26 August 2016

BIBI BRIGHT, HER FILM “LOST IN HER GLORY” AND THE BLIND GIRL

Bibi Bright in an interview with Delay remarked that Adam and Eve are God’s creation.  Human beings are born so they are manufactured goods. And concerning the physically challenged she said;

“When someone is a disabled, it’s never God’s creation; it’s the mother who gave birth to such person and not God.”


Nina Efedi Okoroafor, Visually impaired student, University of Ghana saddened by her comment replied.

The response seems to have hit Bibi in the nerves. She came out with fire power, exhorting Nina to query her mother what concoction she took when she conceived.

Lost in Her Glory was a film produced by Bibi Bright starring John Dumelo, Bibi Bright, Jasmine Baurodi, David Osei and Kalsum Sinare. The plot centered on a woman of the world who found Christ and gave up her bad ways. Such values naturally you expect to find in Bibi as the producer of that movie, but alas!

As I contemplate on Bibi’s sayings, her movie and repartee from the blind girl, the sayings of Charles Wagner in True Source came to mind. And I share that with you as I sign out the Sharparrows way.

CHARLES WAGNER- TRUE SOURCE
Your religion is good if it is vital and active
If it nourishes you with confidence, hope, love and a sentiment of infinite values of existence
Allied with what is good as against what is worst
And holds forever before you the necessity of becoming a new man
If it makes you understand that pain is a deliverer
And increase your respect for the conscience of others
And renders forgiveness more easy
Duty dear, fortune less arrogance and beyond less visionary
If it does these things, then it is good. Little matter it name
However rudimentary it maybe if it fills this office, then it comes from true source it binds you to man and to God

Need I say more? Sharparrows waving bye bye.






Friday, 27 May 2016

Nii Odoi Mensah In His Honour And Memory, Reminiscing

The news headline government to absorb the cost of transporting home the mortal remains of Nii Odoi Mensah brought me close to tears. The reason was simple I recollect vividly my encounter with him when he was then President of Actors Guild.



In the early days of GhanaFilmIndustry.com I had a meeting with him to discuss the challenges faced by the Actors Guild. The aim and object of GhanaFilmIndustry.com  and how we intend to liaise   with the Actors Guild.

It was my first meeting with him and the way he received and attended to me made me to have so much respect for him.  He gives you time for a meeting and you arrive and he is there.

However, there are some film production houses and some film makers in Ghana just make an attempt to pick a meeting with them and a year will come and pass and you are still dealing with their receptionist or a gatekeeper. 

Some actors and actresses will politely tell you to deal with their manager, who by the way is just a personal friend to them and deliberately done to keep you away from the celebrity.

In my meeting with Mr Odoi every bit of information I requested from him was handed to me. I can foretell many people have had such wonderful reception from him and I may not be an exception.

Mr Odoi will give you all the time you need and listen to your concerns. He could have easily told me   to deal with his Secretary but instead he wasn’t that type.

In my meetings with him he requested of me an assignment, I was caught up in other activities by the time I returned to the Actors Guild office he was no longer the President. It was the turn of Rev. Eddie Coffie.

Now Nii Odoi Mensah has been called by his Maker, my impression of him was my first meeting with him.  And I believed all celebrities must take a lesson on how they receive and treat people.

In signing out I share with you a quote we were made to memorize in Class 6, peace, bye bye.


I shall pass through this way but once
Any good thing that I can do or any kindness that I could show to any human being
Let me do it now
Let me not neglect it nor defer it
For I shall not pass through this way again

Sleep well uncle, so long.


Friday, 11 March 2016

THE GHANA FILM INDUSTRY @59




Mother Ghana on 6th March celebrated her 59th birthday and her film industry was acknowledged at the Black Star Square. Fifty-nine years down the line, is there much to celebrate about the film industry in Ghana?

The answer is simple but asked a politician and you will be bewildered by the answer especially if he is in government. The Gold Coast masters surrendering Ghana surrendered the film industry as well to Kwame Nkrumah. Osagyefo built on it and positioned the film industry to conquer Africa and prove to the world that we can match Hollywood of the 1950s.

The Abongo boys did what they best, Nkrumah out of power, the film industry slowly started to go down of it kneels, viable parts of the film industry were sold to cronies and the unwanted parts were left to die a natural death.

Individuals with passion for film but no political might stepped in and filled the void. When they couldn’t hold the front line any long and were losing audience the likes of Agya Koo blossomed to win back audience for the film industry.
The film industry since then has continue to see a turtle pace growth. There has been no major investment in the sector similar to what was done by founding father of the nation Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

So the Ghana film industry at 59; there are a few old soldiers holding the frontline-like Venus Films, Silverline films etc and a few new soldiers at the front line-ABC Production, YN Production, Sparrow Production etc fighting the battle to the enemy line. 

At 59 what is evident to any active participant in the Ghana film industry is the emergence of a film industry that is operating below it capacity. With a sad and sorrowful heart I say to all film enthusiasts happy anniversary, Sharparrows signing out.


Saturday, 2 January 2016

Ghana Movie Awards 2015 Points of Concern



The controversy of Ghana movie awards started with the inclusion of Beast of no Nation in the nomination list. Some major filmmakers were disheartened and struggled to make sense of it. But anyone who stands to win an award out of it was delighted.
 
Ghana Movie Awards arguably the best of the movie awards in Ghana has a future that scares. Over the years it has generated and survived controversies. And it appears gradually folks in film business are losing respect for the award. It credibility is ebbing slowly.  
 
It would be great if Ghana Movie Awards will build bridges, mend broken ones and not repeat previous mistakes with stakeholders but it is an institution with strong ears and tough skin. It is heedless.
 
Before I sign out as the tradition here demands, I am wishing you a belated Christmas and a happy new year. 

·         Formed board of governors
·         Formed the Academy
·         Update Rules and Eligibility for awards

The three points of concern if noted by Ghana Movie Awards will cure her of her headache before and after the awards. See you somewhere down town with a smile, Sharparrows taking my leave.

Wednesday, 4 November 2015

Ghana Celebrities’ Begotten Bastards








Society looks up to its celebrities. No matter how hard one tries to resist they are always on our screens singing and acting. As the situation demands, people always yearn to know more of their favourite celebrity and the one avenue they have for that is the media.


The media also dig down deep to tell you the good, the bad and the ugly. And there is a disturbing trend currently eating into the fibre of our society. Our society is having illegitimate sons and daughters.


Institutions are governed by rules, play by the rules and you get rewarded for that, play against the rules and you get punished for that.


If you chose to have your kids outside marriage, that’s your choice and no government is going to arrest you for that, but bear in mind those kids are bastards. All around us, in our homes, at work and our neighbourhood we are surrounded by out of wedlock kids.

Of our celebrities who have begotten bastards you know them better than I do. Celebrity, icon, idol, star as we loved to call them are torch bearers for our society and the nation. That’s why they are brand ambassadors for products, concepts and ideals.
Now we have celebrities who have begotten bastards stepping out bolding convincing others to do the same. Nowadays, to beget a bastard is the order of the day and society gradually is accepting that as the norm.  


If you are fond of children and love to have one of your own, be patient in waiting for the right person in marriage. But if you chose to have one outside marriage, spare our eyes and ears the publicity and pride show.


There are some celebrities in our society worth commending for the respect they accord to the institution of marriage. They are the likes of Okyeame Kwame, Majid Michel, Emmilia Brobby, Van Vicker, Lucky Lawson, Eddie Watson, Adjetey Annan- continue the list for me- but please don’t add anyone with a  bastard to the list of this noble men and women listed here.

It would also be appropriate to seek the face of the Lord in prayer for our celebrities searching and waiting for Mr. or Mss. Right. And when the time comes, may it be sublime to the adoration of all.


To close this piece as Shararrows always does is to leave you with a quote from a visiting lecturer from Makerere University in a series of lectures he delivered with the last paper being INFORMATION TO THE YOUTH. “Live and good and honourable life so that when you grow old, you can sit back and playback those memories again and enjoin them a second time.”-bye bye.


Wednesday, 21 October 2015

SILENT KILLER OF THE GHANA FILM INDUSTRY



In Accra when you talk of the beehive of film activities, Opera Square smiles back at you. There is no doubt concerning the fact that the foundation stone to the development and progress of film came with the colonial masters.

Dr. Nkrumah winning independence for Ghana put up and strengthens institution to see to the manufacturing, promoting and distribution of films in Ghana.  A look at the plan today clearly reveals that if that plan had been continued after the overthrown of Nkrumah no mistake will be made if Ghana of today is called the Hollywood of Africa.








The structures stand today as one pass through the city, from abandoned cinema houses, down to information service departments and training institutions have all been left to crawl on their knees.

In the song of Mike and the Mechanics- Living Years part of the lyrics goes
“Every generation
Blames the one before
And all of their frustrations”

Today we sit here to write blaming the previous generation forgetting the negative we are contribution today thereby exposing us to the blame of the next generation.

Ghana use to proud itself on the fact that Nigeria learned from her film making. Presently there is little denying in the fact, Nigeria has overtaken Ghana. The size of the Nigeria film market gives it an upper hand over Ghana but that market is not entirely closed to Ghanaian film maker. Ghana with our little film industry struggling to breathe on it own, is again engaged in a practice that is gradually waning it strength.

The production of part 3 and 4, 5 and 6 and on and on; of cause every Tom, Dick and Harry knows the practice is done to recoup investment. The film stops right in the middle of the story and one is told to God Be Glory, watch out for part 3 and 4. The practice has grown in measure so every film this day ends with an expectation for a sequel.

THE EFFECT ON THE MARKET
No red flag is to be raised had the film ended within a feature length and part 3 and 4 opens within the same cast but new storyline. If enough tension and suspense had been created in part 1 and 2 the general reaction would be for people rushing for part 3 and 4.
A straw poll conducted by Ghana Film Garage the film distribution affiliate shows skepticism on many Ghanaians when buying Ghanaian films. They questioned, is it a complete film?

The unsuspecting customers buys only to return asking for it continuation. If he is unable to get it or the sequel is not out yet he goes wild. The cure to this sequel sickness has already been discussed in a previous article. http://ghanafilmindustry.blogspot.com/2013/05/creativity-drought-hit-ghana-films.html
 


Some film producers are slowly waking up to the phenomenon. In recent times films like JJ BA (2015) and HAPPY DEATH DAY (2015) have on the DVD cover full movie, but the majority are still slumbering in the world of sequel. Off I leave to shirk getting infected with sequel slumber sickness.