Community

July:  Ayɛwoho-Kitawons A visit to literary festival Africa Writes resulted in a chance interview with Dr Sylvester Onwordi – son of the late British-Nigerian author Buchi Emecheta. Buchi remains my all-time favourite author and I’m proud to say that with the exception of one novel – I have read all her books. I interviewed Sylvester about his plans to launch a literary celebration to mark her life and work  on 8 February, which was later featured in The New Black Magazine .   August:  Difuu-Ɔsandaa At Black alternative music festival Afropunk, I met Natalie Fiawoo from the Black Cultural Archives (BCA) who was launching an exhibition of personal and private papers from Ewe Fia (King) – Togbui Adamah II. This was the first exhibition of its kind in London and you can read more here . Natalie Fiawoo of BCA - image from MisBeee Writes   In the same month I met the founder of Black British Bloggers - Mariam Bashorun and later joined her blogging...

Combine love, a bit of humour, 80s nostalgia and a pertinent social message about infrastructure underdevelopment and you get  Keteke.  Keteke , which means train in Akan, charts the escapades of heavily pregnant Atswei (played by Lydia Forson) and her husband Boi (Adjetey Anang) who are hell bent on getting to Atswei's village to give birth. But they miss the weekly train which forces them on an adventure filled with comic and nail-biting moments.  Debut This Ghanaian film was first screened in March 2017 in Accra and had its European debut at the London  Film Africa  festival in October to rave reviews. image sourced from zionflex.com Written, produced AND directed by relative newbie Peter Sedufia,  Keteke  takes a serious look at Ghana's failing train system and gives a human face to the plight of ordinary Ghanaians who have no choice but to use it. The idea behind the film came from Sedufia's contrasting experiences of accessing t...

Three years ago (in June 2014), I was on the verge of walking out of ' Belle ' - the second film by award-winning British-Ghanaian director Amma Asante. This film was inspired by a painting in Kenwood House, Hampstead, London, which featured Dido Elizabeth Belle - a biracial woman born to enslaved African Maria Belle and English officer Admiral Sir John Lindsay in Jamaica in 1761. Dido and Elizabeth in the Zoffany-inspired painting The painting is particularly striking because unlike many from that time, which showed black and Asian people in subservient positions next to their white counterparts, Belle holds almost equal status to her white cousin Elizabeth. I say almost because although both ladies are dressed finely, Belle is positioned ever so slightly behind her cousin.  The difference is subtle but that, for me, is the story of Belle's life! She does not quite fit into any complete narrative, and inconsistencies in her life story, position her as a powerfu...

Alice Childress’ play ‘Trouble in Mind’ is the ultimate conundrum for those of us who face racial discrimination and are forced to navigate the sometimes uncertain road of being black in a white world. Tanya Moodie ©   Hugh Glendinning Do we laugh at the unfunny jokes sometimes made at our expense just to fit in and get by? Do we grit our teeth when the unsolicited gaze on our black bodies lingers way too long? What about when that unwanted hand rests lecherously on our knee with intentions to wander and we do nothing because we need this job to pay the bills? Or do we speak our minds regardless of the consequences, knowing that our hopes and dreams may fade and we will be that solitary but brave/foolish figure speaking out. Directed by Laurence Boswell, this version of a Childress play reflects that internal struggle in the mind. But it also shows the external trouble that voicing these feelings can also cause through an arresting exploration of identity, power and ambition ...

The burden of responsibility often placed on women whose children are born ‘imperfect’ in the eyes of society forced all of us watching Priscilla Anany’s film ‘ChildreN of the MountaiN’ to address some uncomfortable cultural truths still present in today’s modern world. The Ghana-born filmmaker made boy-child Nuku (played by Jessica Dablo…..yes a girl playing a boy) the star of a film that poignantly looks at how society blames women for things often out of her control. Priscilla Anany's 'Children of MountaiN' film was created to exonerate women from blame. She is pictured with © MisBeee Writes Defining womanhood Essuman, played by Nigerian-Ghanaian actress Rukiyat Masud, and Edjah, played by Ghana’s Adjetey Anang were ecstatic to learn they would soon be proud parents of a little boy.  Edjah’s first child from another woman is a girl. But all that changed when Nuku is born with Down’s syndrome, a cleft palate and cerebral palsy. Essuman’s status dro...

Ghanaian-Romanian musician and film producer Emmanuel Owusu-Bonsu aka Wanlov the Kubolor is considering making a third instalment to his Ghanaian Pidgin-English musical 'Coz Ov Moni'. 'Coz Ov Moni I' and 'Coz ov Moni II (FOKN Revenge)' chart the adventures of two friends who run into humorous challenges while highlighting the ordinary struggles of young Ghanaians in modern Ghana. Wanlov Kubolor wrote 'something sexy' on my 'Coz ov Moni II' DVD © MisBeee Writes Co-producers Mensah Ansah and Kubolor star in the films and are real-life friends. They started on their creative path during their school days when they used to run away from class to rap together. The pair wanted to create a concert album where everything takes place in one day in the life of two friends in Accra, Kubolor told MisBeee during a meeting hosted by BloggingGhana. While writing, the songs turned into movie scenes, spawning what Kubolor calls the first Ghana...

Should I be jubilating to learn that a total of three films made by Ghanaians and those from the diaspora will feature at the Film Africa festival in 2016? Last year there was just one, while in years 2014 and 2013, there were two films. Even though the number of films showing this year is higher for a third consecutive year, I will refrain from popping the champagne just yet. Films from Ghanaians at Film Africa since 2011  The reason is two-fold. Ghanaian film representation at Film Africa has never been as good (if you can call that good) as in 2011 when the festival was first launched and a total of five flicks were showcased. It fell to four in 2012, and has never managed to hit five digits ever since. Secondly, in the grand scheme of things, the Ghanaian contribution to films in this festival is meagre when compared to movie heavyweights such as South Africa. In 2015, the festival showcased 67 narrative features, documentaries, and short films from across ...