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Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese

Where art thou Ghana? As thousands of African films are being restored

Legendary Hollywood filmmaker, Martin Scorsese, has announced the African Film Heritage Project which has been created to locate, restore and preserve African films which are either lost in history or not easily discoverable.

The Film Foundation, Scorsese’s nonprofit organisation which plans to work through its World Cinema Project in partnership with the Pan African Federation of Filmmakers (FEPACI) and UNESCO, has helped restore more than 750 films since its establishment in 1990.

Scorsese said about the project, there are so many films in need of restoration from all over the world. We created the World Cinema Project to ensure that the most vulnerable titles don’t disappear forever.

“Over the past 10 years, the WCP has helped to restore films from Egypt, India, Cuba, the Philippines, Brazil, Armenia, Turkey, Senegal, and many other countries.

‘Along the way, we’ve come to understand the urgent need to locate and preserve African films title by title in order to ensure that new generations of film goers — African filmgoers in particular — can actually see these works and appreciate them.

“ FEPACI is dedicated to the cause of African Cinema, UNESCO has led the way in the protection and preservation of culture, and I’m pleased to be working in partnership with both organisations on this important and very special initiative,’ he continued.

Why Africa?

Africa, because, Hollywood recognises that the continent has a lot of stories; unique and intriguing stories that have the potential of projecting our historic values and exposing our rich culture to the rest of the world.

Movies based on African stories have been adapted into movies since 1950s, and once there is a backlog of stories, Hollywood would come calling all the time.

This time, the call is not to come and adapt another quality African story into a quality movie; it is firstly, paying homage to the quality movies that were shot by Africans, then, secondly, to find ways to preserve those epic films that can be exhibited to the growing generations.

No Mention of Ghana

It is interesting to note that the World Cinema Project in partnership with the Pan African Federation of Filmmakers (FEPACI) and UNESCO, has helped restore more than 750 films since its establishment in 1990.

Since 1990, 750 films including many from African countries have been restored by the World Cinema Project in partnership with the Pan African Federation of Filmmakers (FEPACI) and UNESCO, yet, Ghana missed out. How come?

There’s little surprise because when the international market of arts converges, in matters to do with music, movies and others – the likes of Nigeria, Congo, Senegal, Kenya, South Africa and others take the spotlight.

What is more upsetting is the fact that, Ghana, which was once regarded as the hub of filmmaking—has or had more quality films than any other African country, is missing in action when the ‘big boys’ are called to the party.

A Desperate Call

In 2015, The National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) made a passionate appeal to the Film Producers Association to donate their 1980s and 1990s production to the institute for preservation.

“One of the sad things that is happening is that we have tried to get some of the significant films and it is proving very difficult because of technology issues,” the Rector of the institute, Prof Linus Abraham, stated.

He continued; “This is part of the history of this country. We need to preserve our audio-visual history. It is important that we have some of these films and store them. We have been trying to get some of these films to screen on national television but it has been difficult.”

He observed that the country risked losing significant films from that period, if nothing was done to save the situation. He, however, stated that the Institute had a central database to store such films.

Wait! Do We Even Have Movies To Preserve?

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah is documented to have set up the Ghana Film Industry and built the largest studio in West Africa, and during that era, the very first Ghanaian Film shot on celluloid, The Boy Kumasenu (1952) directed by British Director, Sean Graham, and others such as Baby Ghana (1957) directed by Jean Rouch, I Told You So (1970) directed by Egbert Adjeso and Genesis Chapter X (1977) directed by Tom Riberio and starring George Williams – were all produced.

Ghana Film Industry Corporation, before the litany of military coups, was also documented to have had had the largest collection of authentic Ghanaian film both on celluloid and on video.

Military rule and the sale of the Corporation, which has changed hands in the last decade, virtually killed the preservation of all the quality movies that were produced in the time of Dr. Nkrumah.

So, clearly, getting movies made in that era, which many critics believe were the best of movies made in Ghana, would be extremely difficult to acquire!

Here Is Our Chance To Get Counted

Yes, we have lots of films which are either lost in history or not easily discoverable – and that is the core mandate of the African Film Heritage Project.

The Pan African Federation of Filmmakers (FEPACI) and UNESCO are firms that are partnering Hollywood legend, Martin Scorsese, for this initiative,

UNESCO, for example, has had links with the Creative Industry in Ghana for years; and if systems and structures are in order, it will be difficult for the body to overlook a country that has loads of films that need saving.

This is where the new administration at the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture can make an intervention by tasking one of its units to find ways of linking up with all the relevant bodies that would ensure that Ghana becomes a beneficiary in the restoration of 50 African films under the project.

Thankfully, the first 50 films to be restored by the African Film Heritage Project have not been named yet. Act now!

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