Listen To The Audio Interview Below…

[audio: http://www.ghanacelebrities.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Kobi-Rana.mp3]

Ghanaian writer and director Kobi Rana has defended why he overlooked Ghanaian actors for Nollywood legendary actor Ramsey Nouah Jnr. when casting for his latest blockbuster ‘Hotel Babylon; Where Clothes Are Naked’.
The movie with obviously many supporting characters or probably no supporting characters had the Nollywood actor as the lead. His performance in the movie was a top notch and may confirm why he was picked ahead of the many Ghanaian Actors.
After the screening, the young African movie maker was subjected to series of questions by journalists. One question which nearly caused a rift between the movie maker and some journalists was the issue concerning the casting of the leading character in the movie.

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Even though in the director’s view, he answered the question well, many considered it as a “no no”. In his answer to why he overlooked Ghanaian actors for Ramsey Nouah Jnr., Kobi said as a director, it’s his prerogative to go for actors he believes would give him what he wanted.
In his interview with GhanaCelebrities.Com shortly after the screening, he said Ramsey Nouah Jnr. brought life into the script. According to him, not only did he bring maturity but he lived the script to perfection.
“He [Ramsey Nouah Jnr.] brought it a lot. I myself I don’t act, I live the character, I become the character, I don’t act it. If I’m supposed to be angry, I am angry, I don’t act angry, so I need people who live character not people who act for people to clap but people live the character and you feel it’s real.” He said.
In explaining the difference between ‘acting a character’ and ‘living a character’, Kobi told GhanaCelebrities.Com that everybody can act but not everybody can live a character.

Read Also: Movie Teaser: ‘Hotel Babylon’ … Where Clothes Are Naked Premieres On March 17!

He said everybody can act and pretend to be a character or to be a doctor. But not everybody can live the doctor for people to feel and ask are we at the hospital?
Comparing ‘Hotel Babylon; Where Clothes Are Naked’ to his other previous movies puts this movie ahead in terms of how challenging it was in directing, something Kobi concurred “The most difficult thing I have done in my life.”
He continued: “It wasn’t easy filming at the same place, the audience could be easily bored, so you have to get a tight story, a tight acting; a great dialogue that would make me listen and listen again.”
He has this to say about, “… Where Clothes Are Naked”.  “You know clothes are supposed to protect us from nakedness, so if the clothes themselves are naked, it means that the one that is supposed to protect us needs protection. In a wide sense means that, nothing is as simple as it seems, there is always something somewhere you can find out or there is something hidden.”
Kobi said before casting for the movie, he had four characters for the lead role in mind. Though he refused to mention names, he said two of the actors are Ghanaians; one is a South African actor in Jacob Cross series.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ink46v1jNy4
The worst thing you can get from this movie is when you are told about the story before you watch it because of the suspense and surprises.
The movie Ramsey Nouah, Roselyn Ngissah, Nana Ama McBrown, James Gardner, Kafui Danku, Nana Hayford, Fred Amugi, Eddie Watson, Ebi Bright, Baby Blanche, Salma Mumin, Kaf Jr, Leo Mensah, Salima Massoud, Susan Narbor, Albert Adjah as well as musicians Bradez and Ephraim.
Premiering of the movie is set for Saturday March 17 at the National Theatre. There would be two showings; 6pm and 9pm. Ticket goes for GHC 30 and GHC 50 and available at Joy FM, Adom FM, Accra Mall (Foto Store and Silverbird), Busy Internet and Legon Drama Studio.
As part of the premiere, there will be musical performances by Rana, Ruff N Smooth, Obour, Okyeame Kwame, Edem, Eduwordzi, Ohemaa Mercy, Philipa Baafi, Bradez, Keche, Kwabena Kwabena, Kofi Nti, Yaa Pono, Lil Shaker, El, OJ Blaq, Akoo Nana, Mzbel, Diamond, Bisa, Apaatse and Gasmila.
Synopsis:
A story of a hotel and its guests in a crisis in a night. The entire story in the movie lasts for a night thereby compounding adrenaline. A hotel is attacked by a gang of armed robbers. On the guest list are different people from different parts of the world with different plans to try to survive by fair or foul means.
With a tempting 5.000.000 US$ cast at stake, the robbed gradually becomes the robber and the secrets that unfold are deadly enough to set the hotel on fire. This is a night of wicked suspense, horror, comedy and passion that will shock the living day light out of you. The world is about to see the ‘nakedness of clothes’ in HOTEL BABYLON.