Sale of GAMA Films bane of GH film industry —Ga Mantse

THE Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, believes the sale of GAMA Film Company Ltd formerly Ghana Films Industry Corporation (GFIC) over a decade ago disrupted the growth and potential of Ghana’s film industry.

His Royal Majesty observed that in the 1980s, Ghana surpassed Nigeria in film production, boasting of exceptional movies such as Kwaw Ansah's Love Brewed in an African Pot and King Ampaw's Kukurantumi – The Road to Accra, which set the standard for African cinema.

He, however, noted the dynamics shifted over time and now Nigeria is at the forefront. He attributes this change to lack of Ghanaian movie production companies such as GAMA Films, which once drove the creation of high-quality local content, leaving a void that has allowed Nigeria to assume the lead.

King Tackie Teiko Tsuru made the remarks when a delegation from the National Film Authority (NFA) led by the Chief Executive Officer, Juliet Asante, paid a courtesy call on him at his residence at Kanda, Accra on Thursday, September 5, 2024 to officially invite him as Guest of Honour at this year’s Africa Cinema Summit (ACS) scheduled for October 7–9, 2024.

He accepted the invitation, noting that it would be a great platform to address some relevant issues pertaining to the creative sector, particularly the movie industry.

“I believe the sale of GAMA Films disrupted the Ghana Film industry because they were producing local content. Today, TV series such as Obra, Osofo Dadzie are no more when they were strong communication tools to tell our stories,” he said.

According to him, the void left by the decline in local content has been filled by telenovelas dubbed in local languages, which, despite their popularity, fail to reflect and promote Ghana's rich cultural heritage and traditions.

This trend, he noted, has led to a cultural disconnect, where foreign values and narratives are being embraced at the expense of authentic Ghanaian stories and perspectives.

 “These foreign telenovelas dubbed in our local languages shouldn’t be encouraged. We watch the actors in their traditional costumes among others which results in us embracing other cultures at the expense of ours,” he stated.

He charged Ms Juliet Asante and her team at NFA with the responsibility of ensuring more local content projecting Ghana’s culture and traditions gained prominence.

“There are many stories that could be told about the Ga State which has rich content that could be explored. For instance, an anthropologist can help NFA with the history of Gas which can tell rich stories about our customs and culture of Gas. These stories and content will teach generations upon generations about our culture and traditions.

 This year’s ACS was launched in June and themed Is Cinema Relevant in African Communities? (Related article: Ga Mantse to be Guest of Honour at this year’s Africa Cinema Summit in October)

The theme resonates deeply on a continent where film has the potential to shape cultural narratives, preserve history, and inspire future generations.

Building on the success of its inaugural edition last year, which brought together filmmakers from 20 African nations to Ghana for insightful discussions on advancing cinema on the continent, the second edition of the summit aims at solidifying the gains made in the African film industry.