Government Won't Fund An Imitating Lavish Movie Industry

A businessman pitches his best ideas to his sponsors for funds to support his cause. Lydia Forson, please don't come for me, I find you an incredible woman however, we must disagree on your idea, the minister of tourism, arts and the government must support the Ghanaian movie industry. Why should the ministry of tourism support the Ghanaian movie industry, when the movie industry for the most part has dedicated itself to copying either Nigerian, western, Indian and other foreign countries movie styles.

Who will support the industry when people are slay queening, buying mansions, and setting up businesses? Have you ever seen people giving to a rich beggar? From the lives movie stars are living no one believes them when they say the industry is suffering. Many in the industry own production companies, are going abroad frequently and are living well. So who should give their money to support their lifestyle? Ghana is hard, and children who are not going to school, selling by the roadside need government funds more.

Genevieve Nnaji managed to secure money from Netflix with Lion Heart, she has taking Nigerian culture ( not copied western culture) to the world stage. Nigerian movies are the most showcased on Netflix and international streams from Africa. All over the world people are accepting Nollywood, we have even accepted Nollywood in Ghana, Nigerian slang and culture, has become a part of our daily lives. When they bid to investors they come with a quality product.

How can we expect the government to patronise a copycat industry, whose employees are publicly living a lavish lifestyle?Kumawood was once great until they started trying some ridiculous plot lines, some borrowed from Nigeria, China, India and the action films are another matter ( the special effects and acting are poor). Therefore Ghanaian audiences started treating them like the English movies, where princes and princesses fall in love with paupers, rich become poor and poor become rich, gunfights, sex and adultery are the main storylines ( I forgot the foreign accents and way of life) and stopped watching them.

Before English movies like a Stab in the Dark, had sensible content and excellently written storylines. Look at Ghana, we have Ama Ata Aidoo and Efua Sunderland, brilliant playwrights, scriptwriters and producers we could mould, and a culture that can inspire high quality drama the world can consume. 'The Favourite ' a British film won so many awards at the Oscars and the Bafta's, it was about British past royalty.

We have royals in Ghana, authentic stories we can tell, and fantastic costumes and scenery that can bring them to life. We could talk about our cocoa farmers or indigenous problems and win best documentary. Roma a film in Spanish won so many awards, we can mix our Ghanaian languages, or intermix them with English, and tell the real lives of Ghanaians. Instead of producing far fetched imitations and unrealistic films.

Let's tell real authentic Ghanaian stories, in Ghanaian voices. The west, Nigeria and all those we copy are not better than us, neither are their countries stories. In order to receive funding, support and viewers, the Ghanaian movie industry must start to pitch stories worthy of funds and viewers. Kumkum Bhagya, unfortunately, dominated our screens, but the Indians had enough sense to know if they appeal to our culture, and speak to the Ghanaians in a language we understand. They will gain their audience.

If Ghanaians want to watch western, Chinese, Indian or Nollywood films. They would rather watch the real thing, not an imitation. Of course, not everyone involved in the Ghanaian movie industry is part of the cultural deficit. However, the vast majority are. It's time for the Ghanaian movie industry to do better, and showcase Ghana in their films.