12 Years A Slave: Lessons For Ghana Films

Where is Ghana films in the equation of 12 years a slave? Ghana is surrounded by ocean of incredible stories waiting to be told, convert to films, books and perhaps documentaries. Yet this field of untapped literal mineral resource had been left alone.

Solomon Northup it was who narrated his story to a lawyer friend. The story was written as a book and now a movie had been made title 12 years a slave. The movie looks promising at the Oscars after winning Best Drama at the Golden Globe. Africans actors and actresses are proud this time at the Oscars perhaps one of their own is destined to win an Oscar.

Looking at 12 years a slave, all it will take for Ghana to make a film to the Oscars is a well researched written script.  Coupled with the right support and backups, Ghana cant failed.

The art of turning true life stories into films has been inhospitable terrain for Ghana films. Partly because those we suspect with the academic muscles to do so are centered within the lectures halls of tertiary institutions.  The Prof. Anyidoho, Prof. Nketiah, Prof.  Mendleton Mend, Dr. Abdullah, Prof. Ama Atta Aiddo , etc. They have largely focused their attention on theatre and drama.

More people’s personal stories are being turned into films. Presently movies at the box office centered on true life stories include Saving Mr. Banks, Monument Men, Philomena, and Inside Lleywn Davis. The true life story films in Ghana, that you can easily point a finger at currently are Big Boy Weezy (2014), Dairy of Imogen Brown (2014) - not yet premiered or release.

If Ghana out of Africa, first to independent in sub-Saharan Africa, produced Kwame Nkrumah who was earmarked to industrialized and unified Africa as a single continent; If Ghana has been able to make the likes of Kofi Annah to head the United Nations for two terms.

From Ghana came the Black Stars that brought sparkles to Africa on world stage at the world cup in South Africa; and from this our same Ghana that the abruptly but a meritorious career of Komla Dumor, who had it not been the icy hand of death was destined to revolutionerized the BBC, nothing under the milky way stops Ghana if it intend to make an Oscar winning movie.

It is not a matter of faith, determination or courage is just a matter of will.  As a people who are not willing; as a government we are not willing; and as a nation we are not willing; that all there is to it- salaam.