Ghanaian film producer and director Shirley Frimpong-Manso has vented her spleen about why the Ghanaian media was overly fixated on ‘Straw’.
She indicated that if the attention given to Tyler’s new movie were accorded to movies other Ghanaian filmmakers have made, they would have made some impact. “Why are we talking about Tyler Perry’s movie when we could easily have that same attention come to Shirley Frimpong-Manso’s movie?” she asked.
Shirley added that she has been producing a lot of quality movies, but she does not get a whit of the attention like Tyler Perry’s ‘Straw’ did in Ghana.
“We have put films there that critically examine a lot of things. We released a film called ‘Chasing Lullaby’ on Mother’s Day. It’s a film that we shot a few years ago, and we released it on our YouTube page – and you should see the film. It’s a beautiful film that talks about mothers in all forms, and I didn’t see the media pick it up, and make a whole song and dance about it like they are doing with Tyler Perry’s movie. He doesn’t care about us.”
Shirley Frimpong-Manso
Tyler Perry’s latest movie not only gained traction in Hollywood; it had a global wave that swept through Ghana as well.
A lot of Ghanaian movie lovers, critics, and film buffs took to their various media platforms to either pass commentary or analyse the movie when it was released.
While a lot of people found ‘Straw’ as a movie with a storyline that touches on the many issues that single parents go through, others described it as one of Tyler’s usual wanton love for over-sensationalism.
However, the renowned Ghanaian filmmaker highlighted the harsh reality of criticisms over praises in the Ghanaian industry.
She recounted a series of backlash, aimed at talking down on her outfit at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, instead of praising her achievements.
“I remember when I won, what people wanted to talk about was my dress, because they said that my dress was so short and everybody else was wearing a gown. I remember someone commenting, saying, ‘Ghanaians, are you for real?’ The girl goes and wins an award, and the only thing that Ghanaians wanted to talk about was my dress and the fact that I didn’t wear a gown, can you believe it?”
Shirley Frimpong-Manso
Shirley emphasised the recurring fixation on frivolous things by Ghanaians and the creative industry as a whole.
She added that such an attitude doesn’t encourage creatives to attain greater heights. “And now you are upset that nobody is winning anything. When we have won, what have we done? Even when we have been nominated, do we make enough noise about it?” she rhetorically questioned.
The filmmaker also urged the Ghanaian creative industry to be devoid of promoting negative publicity, but rather focus on uplifting one another to match up to international competition.
Actress Recounts Working Experience with Shirley Frimpong-Manso
Ghanaian actress Joselyn Dumas recounted her experience working with Shirley Frimpong-Manso in the movie industry.
According to her, the movie producer is passionate about the craft and helps project great ideas and pitches. She refuted claims about Shirley being hard, stating she is just determined.
“She doesn’t work with people who are disinterested in the craft. She’s quite professional and very passionate, so if you don’t come in with that same attitude, then she fails as a director as well. So she needs all of us to come together with our A game.
“If you want to call that hard, then she knows what she wants. She’s a perfectionist, and she would not compromise on her perfection. So she will tell you the only thing you have to do as an actor is know your lines, and then when you come, you leave the rest for the director.”
Joselyn Dumas
She also highlighted scenarios where the producer is likely to get frustrated because of the crew’s inaction. “If you don’t know your lines, then why are you even there? Cause you only have one job, and so when you don’t do it, it frustrates her because then she’s not able to also direct you properly,” she added.
She further related Shirley’s set to that of a teacher-student engagement, which always had a great impact on their projects.
“Anytime you’re on Shirley’s set, it’s almost like you’re back in school. Cause every time I’m on a set, it doesn’t matter that the project, it feels like I’m just working with her for the first time, because every project is different. She brings something new, something refreshing to every project.”
Joselyn Dumas
She also mentioned Shirley Frimpong-Manso as one of the best individuals one could work with. “If you can work together as a team and you know your lines, I think Shelly is one of the easiest people to work with,” she said.
Shirley Frimpong-Manso, who has been in the filmmaking industry for 17 years, is widely regarded as one of Ghana’s top directors.
She is known for several acclaimed movies, including ‘Perfect Picture’, ‘Scorned’, ‘Life and Living It’, ‘6 Hours to Christmas’, ‘A Sting in a Tale’, and ‘Checkmate’.
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