Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, has urged the government to dedicate itself to creating films that highlight some of Ghana’s overlooked narratives.
In a speech delivered by Joy FM sports journalist Nathaniel Attoh at the second edition of the Africa Cinema Summit held at the Mövenpick Hotel in Accra, the traditional leader emphasized the importance of cinema in preserving cultural heritage.
Additionally, he requested that the government produce a film chronicling the life and achievements of renowned Ghanaian boxer Azumah Nelson.
“One random [story], considering that we are on Ga and Ga-Adamgbe land and considering that he is a custodian of the Ga Adamgbe culture, is the story of one of the most achieved athletes on the African continent, Barima Professor Azumah Zumzum Nelson, who is a son of the Ga soil.
His story has that of culture, inspiration, and projection for the future, the African way. This is one of the many stories that can be pursued in a very vigorous way by the government that takes over in the year 2025,” he said.
Azumah Nelson is a former professional boxer from Ghana who competed from 1979 to 2008. He is a two-weight world champion, having held the WBC featherweight title from 1984 to 1987 and the WBC super featherweight title twice between 1988 and 1997. Additionally, he made a bid for the unified WBC and IBF lightweight titles in 1990.
On a regional level, he secured the ABU and Commonwealth featherweight titles from 1980 to 1982. Nelson is widely regarded as one of the greatest African boxers in history.
In discussing the future of African cinema, the King expressed optimism and highlighted how foreign media often emphasize negative narratives about the continent.
“We also remember with a lot of pain the images that have been projected in the foreign media away from the African continent, and we all do know what we are talking about.
Those unfortunate images of people who are distressed and woken by the sides of the streets were in actual fact the people in Rwanda and their leadership under His Excellency President Kagame, looking at a future or they were looking at a day like today,” he said.
King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, therefore, admonished Africans to take advantage of film as a tool for social change.
“As we embark on this journey at the Africa Cinema Summit, let us reaffirm our commitment to cinema as a vital tool for cultural preservation, economic empowerment, and social transformation. The relevance of cinema cannot be overstated. It is a reflection of our past, and the representation of our present, as well as a projection of our future,” he further noted.
The four-day summit commenced on October 7, 2024, and is scheduled to conclude on Thursday, October 10, 2024.
This year’s program emphasizes enhancing the quality of local content production and consumption, advocating for increased investment in the cinema sector.
The inaugural edition of the summit attracted filmmakers from 20 African nations to Ghana, facilitating discussions on advancing cinema across the continent.
This year’s gathering is even larger, featuring more dynamic conversations aimed at further solidifying the advancements achieved in the African cinema industry, while promoting collaboration, innovation, and sustainable growth.
Notable attendees include Idris Elba, the British actor of Ghanaian heritage, who was a prominent figure at the event’s opening.
Among the planned activities for the 2024 summit is a Legacy Award ceremony set for Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at the Mövenpick Hotel.