Socrate Safo: Unnecessary criticism collapsed Ghana’s local film industry
Appearing on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday (8 May), Safo said proper direction and deliberate policy is needed to revive the local movie industry
Socrate Safo, the director of creative arts at the National Commission on Culture has said Ghana’s local film industry collapsed as a result of unnecessary criticism.
Government estimates put direct film sales in Ghana at US$10,000 annually, creating nearly 200,000 indirect jobs.
As of the first quarter of 2021, data from Ghana’s Creative Arts Council showed that 2,860 persons were directly employed in the creative arts industry – including film.
Appearing on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday (8 May), Safo said proper direction and deliberate policy is needed to revive the local movie industry.
“Our model was working fine until we started listening to those who ‘know too much’,” Safo said. “Meanwhile, those we were producing the movies for were enjoying it, yet the critics weren’t even watching, but we started listening to them and that’s when we started veering off.”
“As creatives, we’re not given much attention because of the age-old ‘concert’ perception. The thinking that creative arts refers to music and movies are problematic. The crew – stage managers, directors, stylists – are all creatives,” Safo said.
In spite of the sorry state of Ghana’s movie industry, Safo said countries like Burkina Faso are drawing lessons from us.
Listen to Socrate Sarfo in the attached audio clip below:
The full interview is below:
Reporting by Fred Dzakpata in Accra
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