Gabby is ignorant about creative arts - Former Atinka Media boss

JOT Agyemang, former Managing Director of Atinka Media Village has added his voice to the ongoing debate on the state of Ghana movie industry after Gabby Otchere Darko expressed his disappointment after watching ten Ghanaian movies.

Gabby in a post on Twitter said “I took my time to watch randomly ten Ghanaian movies and never felt so disappointed. It brought home to me one major deficiency in our development. The apparent lack of deliberate consciousness on the part of the creative industry in the development conversation.

The presence of the creative industry appears at best peripheral in Ghana’s development narrative. Our movies, our songs, our arts, by and large, do not impactfully plug into a greater development agenda.

Hollywood, for the best part of a century, has been deliberately used by America to push successfully American cultural “supremacy” agenda; it has been used as an effective instrument of military or economic indoctrination.

But, what has been the underlying consciousness behind our creative industry, if any? What role, for instance, can actors in the creative industry play to define and realize this whole important concept of moving Ghana Beyond Aid? We must elevate consciousness in Ghana if we are serious about winning”.

But reacting to Gabby’s post, JOT indicated that Gabby’s post is a clear indication of the fact that he lacks an understanding of the creative art industry.

“I have read Gabby’s post and find it lacks a certain understanding of the Creative Arts Industry. First and foremost the Creative Arts is not only about Movies, music, and Dance. It involves a wide range of different professions. No one knows what movies Gabby watched since he did not say but I can assure him that there are some very hardworking Ghanaians all over the world who are doing amazing things to enhance the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda.”

He indicated that what Gabby should do rather is to applaud filmmakers who source for their own funds without the support of government and corporate Ghana to shoot films which are not only sold in Ghana but exported.

“Gabby should applaud filmmakers for sourcing their own funds and creating content that is exported around the world. May I remind him that California has the 6th largest GDP in the world and the State directly or indirectly contributes some 10 Billion dollars each year into Hollywood. Under Nana Akufo Addo not a single cedi has been put in the film industry. He who pays the piper calls the tune. If we want filmmakers to dance to the tune then govt must support them.”

He expressed worry over the fact that Ghana has a creative arts ministry that does not understand its mandate.

“We have a Ministry that lacks understanding of how the Creative Arts Industry works. We have people in certain positions who are puppets to some politician or another. What this industry needs is support and structure.

Hollywood has structure and Hollywood has support. Where was Gabby when the NDC was busy selling the assets of the Ghana Film Company Ltd? Where was he when the PNDC destroyed our Cinema Culture? Let your voice be heard in and out of power. We accept fair criticism but we will stand tall and defend our industry when those who have no understanding of how it works run their mouths. Ps. I can give you another 10 Ghanaian movies that may change your perception.”

Other people in the creative arts industry have taken to Twitter and other platforms to register their displeasure at Gabby’s post drawing out his ignorance.