Classical Ghanaian Movies

All this talk of the woes of the Ghana Movie Industry made me sit down to evaluate the industry as a whole. In this world, it is acknowledged that without knowing where you are coming from; you will not be able to know where you to go.

We at Ghafla.com wanted to start a series to shed light of certain movies that changed the landscape of Ghanaian movies. Below are the first 4 movies:

Love Brewed in the African Pot: This movie was released in the 80’s and I remember watching it with my dad when I was young. I did not understand it then but I went back to rewatch it. I had the same experience and it is an unforgettable movie. This is a love story between Aba Appiah and Joe Quansah. Aba is the educated of the two, but instead of going to university, she becomes a dressmaker. She falls in love with Joe Quansah, a semi-illiterate auto mechanic. His love is less courageous than hers and his fisherman father warns him not to play with fire. Their relationship is further compounded by Aba’s father who would rather have her married to a lawyer.

I Told You So: This movie set the tone for Ghanaian movies. It was done in the local dialect and it was still able to cross barriers. It was a brilliant comedy that portrayed Ghanaian Ghanaian culture and lifestyle in a splendid manner. It was done in the 70’s and it was one of the true Ghanaian classics. This film is based on a story about a father who refuses to agree to his daughter’s marriage to a wealthy man. The story chronicles the conflict between a family in post-colonial Ghana as they struggle to choose between love and money.

Heritage Africa: This is the perfect post-colonial movie till date. It has won several awards and is a testament to how impressive it is. The story in the movie resonates deeply with anyone who watche it. The film is set in 1955 in the violent run up to Ghanaian independence, this ambitious political drama follows the conversion of conscience of the first black District Commissioner, an anglicised Cambridge man so dedicated to his duties that he refuses to attend his mortally ill son. Ansah presents a diffuse political analysis – he is at pains to distinguish both between the ‘enlightened self-interest’ of the Governor (Whitbread) and the cruder reactionary methods of sneering civil servant Snyper (Collier), and the rivalries in the ‘Association of Freedom’ led by Kwame Nkrumah. Stilted acting and dramatic over-emphasis make it hard going, but the complex pains and ironies of colonialism come over only too strongly.

Kukurantumi – Road To Accra: I watched this movie just last year. I had always wanted to watch it but unfortunately could not find anywhere to get it. This brilliant movie depicts the lives of everyday Ghanaians. The Synopsis of the film is about a truck driver makes runs between Kukurantumi (a rural town) and Accra (the capital city of Ghana) with few problems until he is forced to replace his truck. In order to raise the money to get a new vehicle, he sells some stolen watches and promises his daughter in marriage to a rich merchant. Rebelling against this fate, the daughter runs off to Accra with her boyfriend.