Entertainment of Friday, 30 August 2013

Source: Franca Efe Plange

Do Africa movies revolve around only Ghana and Nigeria?

The media in this country has become a multi-purpose entity which is gradually taking over the duties and responsibilities of the various institutions in our country. Institutions such as marriage, religion, entertainment and education are a few of those.

Looking at the power and influence that the media possesses, it is very mandatory that caution is taken before any out-put is made on the various channels of the media namely: TV, radio, newspaper and online website publications.

Browse through the various channels of the media today and one is constantly attacked with not too pleasant voices, fake accents, weird intonations, confused phonetics and unpardonable spelling mistakes.

On this note, I have always wondered why TV stations would write “Up Next; African Movie” yet all they ever show are movies made in only Ghana and Nigeria. This has been going on for as long as I can remember and no particular TV station is an exception to what I see to be a ridiculous over-sight.

Meanwhile, these TV stations are expected to be filled with scholars of the English language. So how then, can Ghana and Nigeria represent the whole of the African continent? Ghanaian and Nigerian movies have flooded our screens for a long time now and it is such a pity that it is so.

I will put much blame on the new TV stations that have come up for continuing with this atrocious mistake. They all write “African Movie” but show only Ghanaian and Nigerian movies. And yet are expected to be of a younger and vibrant generation as compared to the pioneer TV stations.

My question is; are these two countries the only English speaking countries in Africa? Or is it that the other English speaking countries like Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe etc, do not make movies?

I have, however, observed that Stations like Viasat 1 and eTV Ghana show South African series which I must commend but they also make that same mistake under a different segment and write “African Movies” when it either Ghanaian or Nigerian movies they show during those segments.

Even though we love watching the Ghanaian and Nigerian movies we would very much like to see how people of the other English speaking African countries also tell their stories.

Or better still, TV programs managers should change the name of those segments from “African Movies” to “Ghanaian and Nigerian movies” because that is more appropriate.