LIGHTS, CAMERA, GOVERNMENT ACTION...........Leila M. Djansi

LAILA M. DJANSI

I have read so many articles on the issue of government support for the film industry in Ghana and after reading it again today, I must speak my mind. Unfortunately, I find it extremely ignorant when I hear some of our Ghana Filmmakers complain that government is not supporting the industry. I may be the ignorant one here but, my question is: What do you want from the government?

They keep mentioning some film bill that has been dormant for some years now. Apparently, parliament has been having a brain fart when it comes to passing the bill.

My question is, is it necessary? This is an industry that is able to ban and unban actors and actresses. Decide when movies get distributed and decide how much movies should be sold on the street. If you have the power to perform such intense activities, what stops you from exerting that same authority when it comes to regulating the industry without calling for state support? Or is the film industry not a recognized private sector industry?

We have terrible roads and equally terrible drivers in Ghana. Our education system does not embrace the kind of resources at our disposal. We love to drive fancy cars but we do not have the intention of ever building our own plant or even putting any money into Kumasi magazine for (cough, cough) refurbished cars.  Yet seriously, our filmmakers are asking for support from the government for themselves? Are you kidding me really? I remember when the French Embassy was giving certain filmmakers money for films. Before my eyes, that money is used to buy a car and send the girlfriends shopping with less than 20% going into making a lousy film. So exactly what is the motive behind this whine?

What exactly have filmmakers done for Ghana? Are our filmmakers’ ambassadors of the art to the world thus bringing large foreign investment into the country? Our musicians try to shoot their music videos on film, who has brought a film lab to Ghana? Ghana has never even had a pavilion at Cannes! No one knows Ghana used to have a healthy film industry.  It looks like Kodak chose Nigeria to take its investment to.  So, what have we done for Ghana? Do we pay our taxes? Is there a regulation on how much to pay the least actor on set, crew member, insurance, city taxes for filming in the city etc? Unless government feels the impact of the industry, there is no way they are going to leave all the other important matters and come to your aid.  FYI, nations that have their governments supporting their film industry only achieve that after the industry has recorded a benefit to the state.


I think citizens of Ghana have already thrown their support behind the film industry by consistently buying the crap we put out. Filmmakers and A-list actors in Ghana live really large.  That is enough to show that there is more than enough money in the industry and what it needs is regulation. Not a bunch of insecure men banning and unbanning artistes for the most ridiculous reasons whiles they themselves exploit young aspirants enriching their pockets and making loud arguments daily, the leaders who do not lead by example.

This is my little two pence advice: leave government out of this. If anything, strengthen the industry to support the nation and be proud you are contributing to the growth of your nation. Instead of filmmakers behaving as though filmmaking is a competitive sport, unite. Form a strong body led by people who know. GHAFTA comes to mind. That union has some of the best brains in the creative art industry.

Form a film office and hire a task force to regulate filmmaking in the cities. Before any filmmaker goes on set, he must pay to the film office that pays the city dues. You did not know each city in Ghana has got fees you pay before doing any kind of business right? Go to the district assembly.  Forget about what happens to the money. I know maybe it will end up in the pocket of the DCE but, that your child drowned does not mean you’ll not take a shower anymore. Do right by you. Be responsible for your own morals.

That film office should ensure that the production has insurance; insurance for the equipment and health insurance for the crew and cast.
That office should regulate fees; set a pay scale in order that people are not underpaid or overpaid.
There must be working and active guilds for actors, writers, directors, etc.  Guild memberships should not be based on having an ID card or the desire to be. To become a member of any guild, you must have featured or worked on a required number of movies regulated by the film office. This makes the guilds have a respectable membership.  Within each guild must be regulations that favor its members and employers must respect such regulations or loose the opportunity to work with the few good ones.

This is where government can come in; to license that film office and authorize it oversee the film industry.  That office should be accountable to the state by maybe paying a yearly set tax fee or something. This fee is paid from the fees filmmakers pay before filming, that money will also pay the zoomlion, sorry, task force and other staff the film office will hire.  When the state sees that the industry is lucrative, not by word but by deeds, records, they can now provide avenues for grants and tax breaks etc.  The film office can negotiate with other film industries for partnerships and other developmental strategies. Panavision is always looking to set up facilities in lucrative industries, we just might be one. Private sector is what will provide the infrastructure for the industry. Not government.

I know some of you guys will come up with so many different excuses. The usual “fama nyame” slogan.  Someone has already put on my wall “Leila you again” yes darling, me again. I write these because my dare-devil attitude has gotten me far. I’d had never gotten a break in the film industry if I hadn’t simply picked up the phone and made a call. A call many laughed at me saying it will never happen. Well, it did.
We can either continue singing the government song or get proactive and solve our own problems. Are we not a part of the government? The very first thing filmmakers need to realize is that: it is not a competition. Until we band together and support each other, it won’t be long before we fade again. Ghana had an industry which faded. Now it’s back, but we keep making the same old girl meets boy films. He broke my heart, she broke my heart, I can’t find love, let’s put a bunch of girls dressed fancy and skimpy with lots of make-up, weird accents and cheesy dialogue in movies.  We can do better really.  I watched a movie trailer from Kobi Rana and I smiled. The movie is called 2bad. I’ve never seen a Ghanaian movie tow that line before. A real ghetto movie. I did an interview and I was asked which young director I see becoming a force and I said Kobi Rana. When I saw that trailer, I was so happy cos I was proved right.

Leave government alone to provide us with the basic infrastructures we need as a nation. All I want is street lights from the Voradep junction to my mum’s house, tarred roads so my car can stop the daily visit to mechanics and expedite clauses in road construction contracts.