Entertainment of Friday, 2 April 2021

Source: Doreen Avio, Contributor

Ghanaian films now copying from foreign culture - Amy Frimpong

Doreen Avio seated with Amy Frimpong [R] Doreen Avio seated with Amy Frimpong [R]

The Executive Director of the National Theatre Amy Frimpong says Ghanaian filmmakers are missing out on a lot of local content that could enrich their films.

Speaking to JoyNews’ Doreen Avio, she said that many films produced lately copy the Nigerian style leaving out the good culture Ghana has.

“I cringe when I see the engagement ceremony and everybody is in the ‘gele’ and all of those things because we have ours.

“They have made theirs sexy, so now we think that it is sexy. When I see Ghanaians wearing the red beads from Nigeria, it’s like we have ours, how about we make ours sexy as well,” she said.

She said growing up, it was the Nigerians that were taking cues from Ghanaian films and cinematography.

Madam Amy believes that it is the admiration Nigerians have for Ghanaians that encourages them to still visit the country years later.

She explained that it is essential filmmakers tell the story of Ghana through films or risk the country losing a lot if not all of the Ghanaians culture.

“We ourselves we are not appreciative, you see when you have something you take it for granted. it is when it is being taken away from you that you begin to cherish it.

“Our culture and practices are what makes us uniquely Ghanaian. We should highlight the positive ones and we have a lot,” she said.

Madam Amy added that her outfit tries as much as possible to make productions that focus on Ghanaian culture, however, many people do not show interest.

“If we atop presenting some of the songs, the music and the dances of some of our tribes, we won’t hear of those tribes again, because, we are losing languages every day in this country. We can’t sit there for it to happen so we try to capture that in our stage performances,” she said.