Hello Chris/Ghanacelebrities Readers,
I’ve been reading your blog since 2012 and I’ve seen a lot of letters written, directed to you or the audience and I hope mine gets your attention enough to have it on your blog. And I’m directing this not only to Ghanians but also Nigerians (where I’m from) because I know some of us read your blog.
My name is Kevwe Abamba. I’m an upcoming Actor, aspiring Film Maker and Writer. I know this is a long note but I employ you all to take time and go through it.
I want to address a very important issue which I know will change peoples’ perspective about our growing film industries here in Africa ie Nollywood and Ghana movie industry, etc. I know you all have the industries’ interest at heart and want them to do good movies with better picture qualities and nice story lines that will meet the international standards and probably contest with Hollywood. I do too.
I see and hear a lot of critics who has never sat down to think about where our film industry has come from over the past years. It will be unwise and very wrong to compare Nollywood or the Ghanaian counterpart to Hollywood. Do you know when they started? The first ever Hollywood film was produced in the year 1890. That is more than a century ago.
While Nollywood is just 20 years with it’s first official movie being Living in Bondage which was produced in 1992. I don’t know about the Ghana movie industry but what I know is that Nollywood started first (I’m not talking about Theater dramas. That I can’t remember when it started. I’m talking about feature films)
Have you seen a good Nollywood and Ghanaian movies? I won’t mention names because I know Mr Chris wouldn’t like to advertise, so he may not include them lol. But, should in case you will allow it; have you seen Last Flight to Abuja, Devil in the Detail, A Northern Affair, Potomanto, Mr & Mrs, Inale, Black Gold, The Mirror boy, Ije, The Figurine, etc? I guess you may not have because these are all cinema movies.
Last Flight to Abuja (Nollywood) and Potomanto (Ghanaian movie) for example, are movies that were produced with thousands of Dollars. It was on cinema, how many of us went out there to watch and support? I guess few because it involves you paying for it. Potomanto is online channels, how many of us watched? Only a few number subscribed to watch because it also involves some cash. We were all waiting for it to be on youtube so we can watch for free.