A member of Akufo-Addo’s government, Gabby Otchere Darko has been attacked by some users of Twitter; a microblogging platform for sharing his disappointment after watching ten Ghanaian movies.
He said in a post after watching the movie that “I took my time to watch randomly ten Ghanaian movies and never felt so disappointed. It brought home to me one major deficiency in our development.
The apparent lack of deliberate consciousness on the part of the creative industry in the development conversation. The presence of the creative industry appears at best peripheral in Ghana’s development narrative. Our movies, our songs, our arts, by and large, do not impactfully plug into a greater development agenda.
Hollywood, for the best part of a century, has been deliberately used by America to push successfully American cultural “supremacy” agenda; it has been used as an effective instrument of military or economic indoctrination. But, what has been the underlying consciousness behind our creative industry, if any?
What role, for instance, can actors in the creative industry play to define and realize this whole important concept of moving Ghana Beyond Aid? We must elevate consciousness in Ghana if we are serious about winning”.
But his post did not sit down well people in the creative arts industry who also took to the same platform to share their frustration.
Dear Mr. Gabby Otchere-Darko, First of all, I appreciate that u add your voice to the need for us to move our nation beyond aid and the need for our creative works to contribute to… https://t.co/QoUCi9aVUf
— adjetey anang ????????official! (@adjeteygh) October 16, 2018
...One would expect that after watching your "random movies", you would engage stakeholders or individuals who keep financing our own works to keep our little flame alive by keeping our… https://t.co/Jm2A6kHOau
— adjetey anang ????????official! (@adjeteygh) October 16, 2018
@GabbyDarko kindly provide the titles of the 10 Ghanaian movies you watched and it’s production houses, and also if any Govt institutions had any influence to that effect. Thank you
— Kweku Elliott. ???????? (@realkwekuelliot) October 15, 2018
I agree with you Yvonne, you are the such people if you speak it goes far and they listen, so am pleading to you to talk about our local TV stations buying content cheaper issues, because some of us are really suffering to even get roles. As am upcoming, JOEBOY
— isaac Enyan (@enyan_isaac) October 16, 2018
Honestly, I wish we can have this conversation openly and I also wish people will forget about their position and age and face bare facts. I wish.... I wish... I wish. @yvonnenelsongh I want to talk, not type !
— Kafui Danku (@kafuidanku) October 15, 2018
I can see some "SERIOUS" people blabbing . pic.twitter.com/ztpPuxu97y
Bless You for recognizing our hard work!!! I don’t know why some people are still finding it difficult to appreciate our effort. Smh ???????
— Maame Serwaa (@realmaameserwaa) October 15, 2018
What @GabbyDarko tweeted was an insult to many filmmakers who continue to carry the industry on their backs with very little money and still make movies that are seen all over the world. To use 10 movies to judge the performance of an entire industry is IGNORANT.
— Miss Forson (@lydiaforson) October 15, 2018
Creatives in Ghana work magic with the peanuts they have, and if you ever been a movie set you’d know that. People take loans, sell property etc to produce the “substandard” movies you claim, why? Because they love what they do.
— Miss Forson (@lydiaforson) October 15, 2018
I agree. https://t.co/AzX1ykMRGS
— B.Otoo (@Bridget_Otoo) October 16, 2018
