By: Seli Baisie
Ghanaian Movie Producer and Director, Pascal Aka has stated that the Ghanaian film industry needs to do more since the bar for movie production has been set high on the international level.
According to him, the only way to thrive is to collaborate with Nigerian movie Stars and tap into their market for maximum benefit.
“First of all, people hate it when I say it but I don’t care, I will talk. The bar has been set and it keeps getting high and higher. When our industry thrives back then, it was when Ghana and Nigeria were collaborating together. So, I strongly feel that, that link, that brotherhood, and sisterhood with Nigeria is the only way to go. I mean if I want my movies to be seen by 2 million people, the chance of it happening in Ghana is very low. So, if we tap into the Nigerian market someway somehow, then it will benefit all of us. Because look at the Stars the Ghanaian Stars, the big Ghanaian Stars, these are the ones that actually have numbers from Nigeria”.
“There are so many Actors now that are working hard, very good names ….but the audience do not know them but because our industry is not linked to Nigeria, those numbers are no more, and they are not stars as they are supposed to be, “Pascal Aka noted.
The multiple award-winning Film Director without mincing words opined that the movie industry needs to go back to the drawing board and produces quality films that meet the international standard to make a stronger impact.
“I feel that the Best Directors are Cinematographers, the best technical people are actually in the music video industry. That’s very fact. If you turn on the TV and you want to see clips from the Ghana films versus Ghana music videos, the quality difference is quite vast. The music videos right now are looking brilliant, amazing… Dorvlo, Rex all of you are doing so well. I’m from that world as well, so I was on a small crusade to get those guys to start making movies and if anybody can help them to that transition it is me. Because I have a degree in it, I’ve done movies, I’ve got awards for best movie… so I can help them, “Mr. Aka added.
Asked why 80% of Ghanaian movies have the same storyline, the Ivorian Filmmaker responded by saying, it will take some time for the damage to be fixed.
“Especially now, the opportunity is there to fix the damage. I feel filmmakers and writers should be a bit more endearing in their storylines’, Mr. Pascal Aka asserted.
Movie Producer/ Director Pascal Aka is an Ivorian raised in Ghana. He completed education in Ontario, Canada where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Film Studies at Carleton University. He began the first six years of his career in Canada directing independent action films Souls of Strife (2007) and EVOL (2010) that have won multiple awards at the Action On Film Festival in California in 2009 and 2010.
In 2011 Pascal Aka relocated to Accra, Ghana where he founded Breakthrough Studios, one of the leading music video production companies in Ghana. He has been awarded for Best African Music Video at the 2016 AFRIMAA Awards in Lagos, Nigeria as well as “Best Directed Video” in 2016. In 2015, he directed the blockbuster action thriller, Interception, to rave reviews. After a good run in North America and West Africa, Aka continues to break creative boundaries to take African Cinema to a global audience.
His works have also been showcased on high-profile platforms including, CNN and CBC.
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