Please tell us about the projects you worked on before making ‘‘ADINKRA’’. How did you start, and how did you learn to make films?
Before ‘ADINKRA’ I worked on my first feature, a biographical documentary called DELA: The Making of El Anatsui. It was a 10 year project about one of the greatest artists to come out of Africa that ever lived. I learned to make films from being a journalist and following unique stories. My love for filmmaking developed from my journalism, and hearing people's stories and relating with subjects on many different levels, outside of just reporting their stories. So there are films that I take particular interest in creating, but what drives me really is sharing knowledge and education.
Tell us about ‘ADINKRA’. And how do you describe it?
‘ADINKRA’: Stamping and Dying Process' is a short film that was born out of a larger project. This came from visiting a community near Kumasi in Ghana which greatly influenced El Qnatsui. I developed an affinity to the community and also felt the need to highlight some of the historic and very impressive work that they do there. It is also an educational piece that provides us an opportunity to share our culture as Africans. In today's volatile world, there is common ground to learn from each other.
Please tell us about your favorite filmmaker.
My favorite is African-American filmmaker Gordon Parks, who was a journalist and worked in very difficult circumstances and went after the story and the story meant more to him than just the film and how he was also bold enough to turn the camera on himself. His story is actually inspiring. I also love Hubert Ogunde. From Nigeria and Ousmane Sembene. I particularly enjoy films from the classical era of the 1930s to 1960s.
If you're given a good budget, what would be your ideal project?
My ideal project is to be an animation series on some of the greatest people that ever came out of the African continent, and have it in every school and library on the continent. This is not your average AI-generated type, but it will be done in a way that children can relate and understand those stories.
Describe how you would ensure that production is on schedule. What steps do you take?
Preparedness for me is the key to any production being successful. And bringing your team to the same point of movement where there is an understanding of the project and the deliverables is really key saves a lot of time, where and this affords us to be able to work with a whole bunch of people and have each one deliver on their you know what they're supposed to deliver, but to ensure that is really being organized and taking you production seriously.
What is the hardest part of making ‘ADINKRA’
Honestly, there was no hard part. It was a joy to make. I thank specially, the hospitable people of Ghana and our friends at The Adinkra Village, Ntonso.
If possible, tell us about your next work. What plans do you have for your future?
Well, this really would be the second official film that will be out there. But there's more to come. There's so many films within the film within a film. We are working on two back-to-back film projects which we are looking forward to sharing. One is a music documentary that crosses New York, Ghana, Nigeria and The Netherlands; and the other is entitled WOVEN: The Intriguing Journey Of The Ebira Cloth. Both are deeply personal, spanning the globe and transcending generations. Traditional crafts and practices have become a rallying point for economic development in our countries in Africa. There are multiple layers of approach from sustainability, environment, tourism, culture and education themes, all found within the well researched piece, and produced by Africa-Related.
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