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Transcript
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Hello, good morning. Thank you for joining us today. I welcome you to the University of Bir on behalf of the African Multiple Cluster of Excellence. It's a pleasure to have you here. Uh my name is Bad Adanjo and today we are talking about the film The Fish The Fisherman. uh the story behind it, the creative journey among amongst other things. >> Uh before we begin, could you please uh introduce yourself and tell us the role you played in the film >> The Fish Fisherman >> Dankon and Guten Morgan. Good morning to your audience as well. Um my name is Kufi Orier and I'm one of the producers of the fisherman film. Thank you very much and it's nice to meet you Kofi. >> Likewise. >> Um as the producer or one of the producers of the fisherman that means you played a very key role in shaping both the creative and the production side of the film and we will be excited to hear more from you. Um to start off uh we would like to know what was the inspiration behind the film and why you felt compelled to tell the story. >> That's a good question and um this is this is an idea that came from the director Zoe Martinson and this idea stemmed from a conversation that we had over the phone and her time staying in Kater. So she as a as as a younger person she um she stayed in Kater um for a period of time I think over a year and in that time she used to help the fisherman bring in the nets at the end of the day and she always wondered what could come out from the sea when they pulled in the nets. So in conversation um one on one of the occasions that we kept in touch I said oh I'd just gone past um Jamestown which is the old part of Ara the the very old part of Ara back in the colonial days and there's this fishing area that the government has given to the Chinese to set up a fishing hubble and this a this is a fishing area we all like to go and you know sometimes visit it and so she I told her this is what was happening now and she was like oh and I said it would be good to document the area now as it is before it's turned into something else later and then she she came up with the idea of writing a short film so we we ended the call a few days later she sends me a script I read it and I I immediately I go like let's do this I I I really want to do this even though we had literally no money, she she she we pulled resources together, she was in South Africa at the time and so instead of going straight to the US from South Africa, she did a detour and then came to Ghana and then within a week we did casting and then we shot the the short and so from the short the the amazing thing was and so it's so funny we didn't think cuz this was something we did for fun suddenly The short took on a life of its own, winning awards here and there, and then it got bought by it got licensed by HBO for a year. And so when that happened, there was a a film festival in in the UK called the Encounters Film Festival that I had the opportunity to go. And after the film screened at a soldout audience when the um foyer having discussions, filmmakers, other film enthusiasts, you know, having discussions, mingling and then this um an old lady and her grandson walked up to me and she literally said this is a part of Ghana she has never seen before and how relatable the story was to her and that her grandson was, you know, has the idea of getting into film and him having the opportunity to see this only only makes it emphasizes the reason why he should get into film. and her her saying that hit me and I kept that, you know, that moment with me >> and then, you know, when we went back. >> And so every time we Zoe and I had conversations, I would quietly just say, "Oh, you know, we should do a full length film for this." And she was adamant. She was like, "I wrote this as a short. I didn't think it would be for and this is was for fun." Mhm. >> Then you know sometimes you have to let people be for a little while and then you come back and so I just did gentle proddding because >> she you know she got married and then had some you know beautiful kids. She had a she she had a beautiful family. And then one day we, you know, when she was back to her herself and, you know, ready to work, I said, you know, we still should visit this and >> okay, >> write write the feature, you know, and so >> she she finally gave in and then started writing. And then I helped her with the creative process in terms of like some of the scenes and some of the, >> you know, in Ghana the the things that would work >> to make the scene, you know, comfortable. Yes. >> Yeah. Thank Thank you very much. Um so um we can say categorically that the film was inspired by real life experiences and events and that was what shaped the narrative. >> Absolutely. >> Thank you very much. So how best do you describe this film in terms of genre? >> It's a it's a comedy. It's a whimsical fantasy comedy. >> Okay. >> That explores themes, real life themes in in in a comical way. um you know people people you know sometimes when you want to deliver a message people would take it in the form of a comedy even though it's you know there's there's a saying that there's a lot of truth in justest you know people people will say things in a funny way but there's truth behind what they're saying even though you're laughing about it. So this was the main you know reason for for for the for the for the theme that she chose and the genre. >> Okay. Thank you very much. Um the film the fisherman seems to explore the balance between modernity and tradition. How did you approach portraying this dynamic in the film? It's it's it's interesting because in Ghana we have we have this edinkra symbol called sanka you know and sanka means um return to returning to where you came from. So in order to move forward, >> you know, in order to move forward, you need to be in touch with with your past >> to know what's happened behind you. So you can >> if there's anything that you need to do, any healing or any other thing that you need to do in order for you to progress in life, you need to do that. And you also you you need to always be so that that theme of exploring traditions and modernity you know it's something that needs to be merged together so that we can all grow. You know, you tend to find um nowadays our old people instead of us contacting them for information, we would rather consult Google and that makes them feel obsolete. >> And it hurts because these these people these are these were before Google, these were our libraries. These were our encyclopedias. >> Why why are we now making them? And you see without utilizing them they feel useless >> and they feel um left out >> in society. So these were the things that she was trying to she explored in order to to make this film. >> Okay. Thank you very much. And uh as the producer of the film, how do this personally uh the rel how does the relationship between tradition and modernity influence your own choice your choice making in the film in during the film making? >> Wow, that's a good question. Um, I would say, um, making, you know, certain decisions that that I I even took on set, um, were were, how would I put this? There were certain decisions that I took that made me realize that um being >> um >> being modern, >> being too modern, you know, can can sometimes um make you make you feel you're either being arrogant or you're being, you know, Yes. you're being too bossy. Because sometimes when especially when you're dealing with people um people >> who are ahead of you >> you in in in our culture in the African culture your elders are to be respected. You are not your age mates. >> Yes. >> The way you talk to them >> yes >> matters. >> You know if if you're looking for if if you're asking for a favor the mere fact that you've paid for something does not mean you can talk to the person anyhow. M >> you have to come to a certain level so that they know that yes you've paid for a service but then you also according me a certain level of respect for me to provide that service >> the mere fact that I've paid for it being a modern man and saying I paid for it so you need to know there's if if you want the best service you need to be kindness goes both ways >> you know I need to be kind in order kind to you in order for you to be kind to me and provide me with the best service that I've paid war. Okay, thank you very much. Um, now let's talk about some characters in in the movie and we'll be talking about three specific character. We'll talking about uh the main character, Ata, the fisherman. We're talking about the fish, the the the talking fish, the boogie fish. And um I would like to say one word about Shasa, the lady, the young lady. Um but let's talk about the main character. The main character Ata is a traditional man and he initially went totally against modern technology but at the end of the story he began to accept some of these changes. Um the question now is was the initial conflict inspired by real experiences in the Ghanaian coastal community or Ghana generally? it's it's it's a general thing, not just Ghana. I think it's a global thing where if especially with the older generation, coming from a place where we we call them the BBC's, the people born before computers. So coming from that older generation and then now having to deal with technology, you know, having them try to catch even just catching up is is such a chore for them because they've lived a certain lifestyle or a certain they've been brought up in a certain way that is different from what is happening now. You know, you you you they people people are able to tell what time it is just from looking at the sun. the shadow of the sun. Now it's like you look at your phone and you can tell what time it is instantly. So these these are the little things that >> um makes them feel like they they being left out because these are like I said these are are these these these people are libraries. >> Mhm. They are the people that would even and there are certain ailments that happen to you today. If that you you you would think modern medicine might help but you realize that traditional medicine works better and faster and is more effective without the side effects. >> So you need to these these these are things that you can't you can't do one without the other. they need to progress so they can they can both come together and um yeah make make things work. >> Okay. >> So for him I would say he he had to come to that cuz he was stuck in his ways. >> Mhm. >> He was stuck in his ways. He did not want to change anything >> to to to become modern. He did not want to. But eventually he realized after his interactions with the with the younger generation cuz you find them you know in this in the film together after his interactions with them he he began to realize you know they are not wrong and neither am I. Why don't we progress together and make things work because if if anything I could also be a guide to them. >> So that's that's basically it. >> All right that's thank you very much. Um the next question I would like to ask you is Ata and the younger generation the younger chaps they took a journey to Ara. Um in the film the journey to Acra serves as a metaphor to reconciling the old world and the new generation. Can you tell us more about this? Um, I would say it's it's interesting because I I'd say in in let's say in in in Ghana, you have you tend to have villages being separated from the from the main cities by just a road. And you you tend to find people in either of these places having not even been outside of the area that they they reside, having seen any part of the country except for the city or the town or the village that they've been born in. >> And that that them even making that journey was was something. Ata Ata had a daughter in the in the city. He's never been to visit her >> before. M >> and so this opportunity came and he took it and he finally got to see how his daughter was living >> in the city >> whether it was to his pleas you know displeasure or not it's something that you know he he he got to experience and that experience also helped shaped his his his um his idea of the of of the modern world versus the traditional world at the end of the day. So sometimes you you you need to move out of your comfort zone >> to to visit to to try new things in order to come to terms with certain decisions or make certain decisions that would be life-changing. >> So I would say yes you you are right it was a metaphor for >> Yeah. >> Okay. Thank you very much once again. Um um when you watch the film, one can argue that the film reflect on nature, the film reflect on environmental contents and the film reflect on cultural erosion. Is this part of what you intend to explore in the movie? >> Yes. Yes, it it was it was a a major part of of of the film because it's it's it's a global thing now where the environment isn't being respected and so now you're finding out that the environment is also fighting back >> you know in in Ghana um there's a there's an area in close to James the Jamestown area where called Contamanu where secondhand goods from Europe and all parts of the world are brought and sold and then you find you find that a lot of these clothes are not usable. So they tend to dump them in the ocean and the ocean then spits it out onto onto the shore. So you there's a whole area filled with discarded clothes and plastic waste and suddenly there's this revolution that's going on in Ghana where young young people and individuals have come together to upcycle these um these um discarded clothes to make them fashionable again. They're making them into bags, clothes, shoes, you name it. I I I mean jack jackets, it's endless. I I'm so amazed at at what they turn some of these things into. And it it's it's it's so mindboggling. And it's also like the plastic waste. Like people are now taking initiatives and understanding that we need to clean our environment in order to live healthy, live longer. because these things all go to go together to promote good health. So, um yeah, it's it's it's it's one of the the amazing things that is happening in Ghana and I think it's a I think globally too. It's it's it's it's something that people have become aware of. Um you know, not just to discard things >> any anyhow, >> you know, you need to respect the environment because respect goes hand in hand. You respect the environment, the environment respects you. >> Yeah. Thank you very much. Um the film started with the voice of a storyteller like a grio somebody telling us about the sea about nature >> that was at >> that was at yeah it was a elderly person recounting a story of how the sea used to serve them. how the sea used to be everything everybody dreamed of uh dreamed of and you know and now talking about the sea we would know that there are a lot of things also underneath the sea because he said when when maybe we are hot we jump into it we get relaxed and everything now let's talk about some one of the most striking thing in the film which is the talking fish uh I I wouldn't stop to imagine how did to come about the idea of a talking fish and what does the talking fish represent because it's a narrative voice. What does the talking fish represents in the in Ata's journey and the entire film? >> So this is where Zoe's creativity came to came to play. So having spent so much time you know sometime in Keta in the VA region in in Ghana by the sea like I mentioned before she always wondered what secrets lie, you know, laid beneath the the the surface of of the sea. And, you know, the ocean is 80% undiscovered. So, this was one of the things uh that she she played with in her mind. And so having the opportunity to even write the script, she decided to incorporate that and then make it, you know, it's it's what even even to me when I first read it. It it was it was the craziest idea ever. And that's what made it so appealing to me, like a talking fish >> who who had, you know, a smart mouth, you know, and and so she she did that. and um she decided to make it his um sort of a spiritual guide to attack. You know, he was the only person who could actually communicate with the fish cuz at the end of the day, it's a figment of his imagination. >> You know, the fish came into play to help guide him through the modern world and make him see that, you know, he's not, you know, a dream a dreams happen. You know, individuals have dreams all the time. Sometimes you need to take a little detour in order to come back to it to to make it happen. >> It it doesn't mean that the mere fact that you're also old, >> you dreams cannot happen. Regardless of your age, regardless of of of you know, so far as you're in good health, you wake up, you're healthy, why not go for it? People are >> getting degrees at at the age of 70, 80 years old. What's stopping you from pursuing what whatever dreams you had as a young person? Even if >> family came to play and you had to put them aside, eventually your family will grow, your kids will grow, they will leave. Now it's your turn to pursue whatever it is that you want, you've always wanted as a kid or as a young person to pursue. So it shouldn't nothing should stop you from pursuing your dreams. >> Yeah. Thank you very much. Okay. So, Ata's dream was to uh own a boat of his own and to become the boat's chief, right? >> And um like you said in the film only Ata could hear the voice of the fish. >> Uh my question is was it intended to show Ata's inner world or is this a concept rooted in the Ghanaian oral tradition? I mean the there there are certain folk laws that talk about you know talking animals like you know in Ghana we've got not just in Ghana in Africa we've got Kuwan the Kuwani stories you know he the trickster so these this is nothing new when it comes to African folklore so having that in in the film is is it's it's it's there we've done it before it's it's nothing new it's just what um what shape that took is what makes it interesting. >> So yeah, I would I would say it's it's it's based it's based Yeah, it's both ways. It's based in African folklore >> and also shows his inner voice. >> It also Yeah. It's his inner voice >> speaking to him because having gone through, >> you know, having gone through the shock of being passed over as a boat chief because it was his turn literally. But then being passed over and given to a younger generation, somebody who's never been to sea, >> somebody who doesn't know the ocean is taking over from him when he he he's been, you know, he's been assured of the position. It it it you know people I would say it was a little psychological you know he he had a breakdown a psychological breakdown and that's how come the fish came into play. Okay, now before I ask my last question about the fish, just like two more questions about the fish. Um, now ata accepting there was a scene where he accepted um was it called technology eventually uh because for him he's a man a fisherman for several years. He has experience and he could tell where the fishes are. This is where the fish is. This is where we can get them. But at the end of the day he was using GPS with the younger generation and uh you know uh that and that is as a result of his relationship with the fish. Eventually he was able to go to Ara and came back. Now um um throughout the fish the the fish uh throughout the film the fish brought about humor. The fish brought about a lot of wisdom that attack could tap from. Um, do you see Kobe the fish, the boogie fish? Do you see the fish more of a as a comic device in the movie or is the fish just a spiritual guide? Because you said it's a comedy. So, is is it a comic device or is it a spiritual guide or something else or beyond what uh I'm imagining? >> No, it's both. He he he plays both roles quite well because um >> like I said, you know, sometimes people can't take truth in its raw state. Sometimes you need to sugarcoat it just a little bit, but then it's it it's in there. You you you you put it in, like I said, there's there's a lot of truth said in justest. So when when when when you you you put it that way, people are e um people consume that easily than having to tell it because you don't know how people would different people would react to you being blunt. >> Yeah. >> You know, some people might not take it well at all and it becomes it might break them down and and they might never recover. So sometimes you need to delve a gentle blow and then you know gradually they'll become they they'll begin to accept >> whatever it is that you're trying to tell them without being harsh. >> All right. Thank you very much. Um on the character the last question will be on Shasha the young lady. >> At the beginning of the story uh of the film she was always coming to the coaster area and she was rejected. They didn't allow her do anything. They believe she's a woman and she doesn't amount to anything as far as fishing is concerned and uh you said the director once used to help fishermanmen. Uh does it in any way have to relate with the director or what message do you think you're trying to pass uh using Sasha because at the end of the day when they came back from a car she became the boat chief instead of at >> Yes. So the the the idea behind that was um in in the fishing communities, women usually they they just collect the fish and sell. They don't help bring the that's a man's job. They they pull in the nets and everything. And you could tell from the film she wanted to go to sea. Women don't go to sea. It's the men that go to sea and bring in the fish and then they go sell it, fry it, sell it or sell it in the raw state. And this is somebody who has actually been to university to study nautical science. >> So her father took her to school in the city and educated her. So her coming back to want to help her people and being hindered was a problem, you know. And this is one of the things where Zoe wanted to explore because you tend to find that a lot of women in in especially in in the African society sometimes they are passed over for certain positions even though they are more than qualified or qualified to do the job. They are passed over because they they feel it's more of a man's duty to do that. Yes, there are certain things that require man's strength to to be able to achieve that. But majority of of of of the occupations or the the jobs that are around women can also do. So it it have giving her the opportunity at the end of the day to showcase what she could do based off what she's gone to study and being good at what she's studied because she she passed on se she gave him several ideas you know when they interacted she gave him several ideas that made him realize you know I'm I'm even though I'm being so hard-headed and traditional this girl has bright ideas that would lead us into the future with my guidance, you know, I can guide her to do certain things. You know, it doesn't have to be sometimes being too modern will get you into a bit of muddy water. So, you need to >> combine >> combine the two in order to progress, you know. Sometimes cuz you don't want to alienate one from the other. >> Yes. >> So, we still need the elders in the community. >> We need the elders. We we we we need, you know, women are supposed to be our partners. They're not >> Yes. Yes. We we we we don't we are not superior to women. You're supposed to be our partners. We we're we're supposed to progress together >> together. >> So, >> thank you very much. Um let's talk a little about the casting. >> Um The Fisherman featured uh some features some renowned actors and some emerging talents. How did you approach the casting? What did you look for when you were selecting the cast? So um the with regards to the casting, we we left that to Maquazi. He's the casting director. He's a big casting director in Ghana. He runs MK Casting and he's a friend. We, you know, it's beautiful cuz a lot of the crew that worked on the film are people that I've worked with over the years. And you're talking about a period of close to almost 20 years. So we built quite the relationship. So Malco came on board, did the casting, sent us the tapes. You know, I'm I'm always for fresh talent, even not just fresh talent, but also trying to marry old and new, >> cuz you tend they will learn from the the older generation when when they they they get on set together. And that worked so well to my to my surprise because >> um the main actor um who played at Riki Adilator >> his level of professionalism was I've worked in the industry for quite some time and his level of professionalism regarding punctuality when he was on set the rest he he always came to set on time and then the rest of the cast were like wait If >> an old man, >> if this, you know, the old man is getting to set on time, what's my excuse? >> So, they all got in line. They There was never a single there was never a day that either was late. Everybody was on time from cast to crew. It it it it was it was just I I after we wrapped I I literally got them because now the these are my younger brother brothers and and sister and I literally told them >> I've done this for for a minute and I must say when when you work on sets especially for the duration that we filmed you tend to have people coming in you know sometimes somebody will come in late maybe one day, two days late. There was never a single day that either of them came late. >> And I I thank them so much because production cost money. >> If you're late, it cost production money >> because if you're not able to make your day, the film doesn't get made. >> And we couldn't, we working with a tight budget. We could not afford to lose a single day, an hour, two hours. It it would it would have messed the whole production up. So, I appreciate them >> for making sure that they were always on time. >> Okay. >> And making this film work. >> All right. Thank you very much. Um now the question I would like to ask before the last question is what does it mean for you that this film the fisherman became the first Ghanian film to be selected for Venice? And uh from what I read it has won so many award. What does that mean for you? And maybe I should add the second question. How do you see this influence the future of Ghanaian filmm? Listen, if if if I knew at the very beginning from the short to to the feature that this film was going to take the path that it's taking us on, I probably would have would have said you you were joking because from the moment that we did the shot and then it got into festivals and how well it it was it was received I I've been blown away from then till now and the fact that this film happens to be the first Ghanaian film and I think it's the is the first West African film to premiere in Venice because after we did it Nigeria did it. So, um, for us to be the the front runners to make things happen in this region, it blows my mind every day. >> And the number of awards that this film has won, which is I I'm I don't I can't give you the actual figure, but it's over 15 awards. >> Some of it majority of it being international and we've won um one two at home in Ghana, >> one in Nigeria. So it's it's it's it's been amazing. It's been an amazing ride. I I I don't want to get off the ride. Actually, I you know, we just got nominated just got to be the first Ghanian film also to be nominated for the NAACP awards in in the US, which is like the black Oscars >> in the US. And we >> that's another thing, you know, you wake you go to you go to bed and wake up one day to news like this. It it just gives you that it spurs you on to want to do more. And I'm I'm hoping that this opportunity opens the doors for other African filmmakers to walk through because the world is now seeing the kind of stories that we have and need to be told. So if given the opportunity, this is what you will get and more. So this for me giving you know being able to do this so that other other African filmmakers can also get the opportunity to do something and also even better than what we have it will be it will be amazing an amazing feeling for for myself. >> Thank you very much. >> Oh thank you very much. It's been nice talking to you for the past 30 minutes there about. Um any final word for the University of Birus and for the African multiple cluster of excellence? >> Since I got to Germany, this is my first time being here. Since I got to this country, I have felt nothing but you know warmth and and and welcomed and being at the University of Birus especially the African multiple and you know the African multiple and cluster of excellence you know it's it's I don't know I don't know what to say from you being you know help helping chaperon me around and showing me all the spots and meeting the professor Fendler and other professors and interacting with other African filmmakers who also showcase their films here and watching their their amazing work. It's, you know, and also yesterday we had I had an interaction with some of the students, you know, up up in one of your departments. It it's it's just I I couldn't have dreamt this, you know, it's it's, you know, even if I dreamt it, I I didn't think I was going to live it actually. So being here has been amazing from start to finish and I do hope to to come back and you know one with another project and interact with you more. >> So thank you for having me. >> Yeah. Thank you for coming around. We happy to have you. >> This you know this is I'm going to carry this this experience with me for the rest of my life. >> Yeah. Thank you very much. Thank you for coming. Thank you so much.
