I have written extensively on this absurd and twisted understanding of patriotism, which Leila Djansi is calling for–and I do not intend to delve into the layers of absurdity such calls build once again.
Blind patriotism was a thing of communism: it belongs to an era where people for fear of being called traitors or defectors would support ideologies, policies or things they did not really believe in.
With a vast number of films available to our generation of movie lovers, it’s deeply pathetic that instead of Ghanaian filmmakers stepping up their game to match global competition, Leila Djansi, a Ghanaian filmmaker is calling on Ghanaians to support mediocrity–on the back of some twisted logic that it would somewhat fetch a good return in the future.
READ ALSO: CHRIS-VINCENT Writes!The Biggest Problem Of All Ghanaians: We Do Not Know Where Patriotism Ends
This sort of argument shouldn’t even be made at the barbershop, let alone to any intelligent film-watching population.
With countless films and TV series to choose from, made available by online platforms like Netflix and the others, why should any reasonable Ghanaian torture himself by watching a bad film, simply because he wants to support an industry that has refused to improve?
That’s a pity…
Leila Djansi wrote on Facebook;
“I’m pretty sure lots of Ghanaian filmmakers want to tell the Kwame Nkrumah story, the Yaa Asantewaa story, the JJ Rawlings story, I personally want to make a film about Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings. I’m sure banks want to invest in films.
“But, until Ghanaians support films from Ghana, no matter how bad, none of these can happen! Stop watching movies on your drives, stop loaning movies to your friends. If a filmmaker can sell 2million copies in Ghana, I don’t see why a bank will not give that filmmaker 1 million ghc to make a film. It’s teamwork y’all.”
Any person who would waste his time watching a bad Ghanaian film when there is an array of brilliant films available must really have no understanding of support or must have no idea of the value time.
What about Ghanaian filmmakers putting up a good show, worthy of people’s support and viewing time?