King Ampaw encourages use of local languages in Ghanaian films

Being creative with content is one way that movies may influence Ghanaian society, according to King on Joy FM's Showbiz A-Z.

In addition to speaking in Ghanaian, he suggested that other regional settings be looked into for Ghanaian motion pictures.

"I personally think that movies should be made in our native tongues and in our local communities. The host, Kwame Dadzie, said, "These draw the vast majority of people in our society and also have more effect on them."

He added that Ghanaian filmmakers must show the true way of life of the people in order to sell their country to the rest of the world, much as Hollywood has done with America.

He stated that there should be a conscious effort to portray Ghanaian culture, despite the fact that society has grown global and there is a tendency towards acculturation. 

The renowned film producer went on to say that despite the numerous issues the Ghanaian film industry is facing, there are still opportunities.

"I know that Rome was not built in a day, even though I am not satisfied about the quality of most of these projects. African industry is currently being developed, and modern production is starting to find its way into it. It requires a lot of work on our part," he stated.

King Ampaw also counseled Ghanaian filmmakers to not place all of their faith in the government to provide financial support for their motion pictures in an effort to maximize their professional potential.

King, who gained notoriety for the 1983 film "Kukurantumi: Road to Accra," asserts that government funding for motion picture productions typically falls short of what is needed for the actual labor.

"To state the obvious, commercial productions have very little to do with the government. Due to the money involved, it is strictly a private matter," he stated.

According to King, the government can only provide monies meant to provide a buffer for filmmakers; however, these funds are insufficient to sustain a full production.

"Unfortunately, this group of youth has consistently emphasized it. That has, in my opinion, made us a little bit lazy.

How much money, after all, can the government afford to provide the plethora of filmmakers? Now hear this: I am only allowed to spend the entire government film grant for a single film production. We may need to adjust our perspective and thoughts on that," he remarked.

King Ampaw is famed for movies such as They Call it Love, Kukurantumi, Road to Accra, Juju (Nana Akoto), No Time to Die, among others.