Kwaw Ansah to be celebrated by Goethe Institute – Ghana
By Peterking Quaye – The Goethe Institute (GI) and The National Films and Television Institute (NAFTI) are set to celebrate the works of Kwaw Ansah, Ghana’s premier film-maker, explores his body of work, reflecting on the thematic and narrative content, the structure, visual style and technical components of his cinema works in Ghana that have touched many parts of the world as part of 2011 NAFTI Lectures.
Kwaw Ansah’s movie ‘Heritage Africa’ won the FESPACO Grand Prix (Etalon de yennega), Organization of African Unity best Film and many other International Awards. Since Heritage Africa, Kwaw Ansah has made historical Prize Winning Documentary Crossroads of the People; Crossroads of Trade commissioned by the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC. It won the FESPACO 1990 Best Documentary and Best Production Awards. Other works from the Studios of Film Africa include the Hopes on the Horizon, The Golden Stool, The Flag Star, National Order of Burkina Faso and the Living Legend.
The event will take the form . daily viewings and discussions of his films and researched paper presentations on his work, the week will be used to reflect on and understand the film-makers contribution to Ghanaian Cinema. The event will be crowned with presentation of awards in recognition and celebration of Kwaw Ansah’s work.
Opening Ceremony and Film Screening – “Love Brewed in the African Pot” by Kwaw Ansah (125 min, 1980) – Set in postcolonial Ghana. The Appiah’s carry on a lifestyle emblematic of the colonialists. “Heritage Africa” by Kwaw Ansah (110 min, 1989) – “dancing to the tunes” of his bosses, native African Quincy Arthur Bosomfield denounces everything related to his culture. “Harvest at 17” by Kwaw Ansah (105 min, 1992) – Two teenage love birds who defied parental counsel are over challenged when the girl gets pregnant.
A workshop with Kwaw Ansah. The morning session will be an interaction with Kwaw Ansah about ideation and storytelling for the African screen. In the afternoon, students of NAFTI and the filmmaker will deal with the knowledge, skills and attitude needed to survive in the film and television industry. And finally “Crossroads of People, Crossroads of Trade” by Kwaw Ansah (45min, 1994) – a documentary on the people of Ghana from the period before European contact until now. A Special Award and Recognition Night will climax the celebration with a screening of a documentary on Kwaw Ansah .
