Ghanaian actor and filmmaker Kwadwo Nkansah, popularly known as Lil Win, has broken down in tears while recounting the difficulties he faced during the production of his upcoming movie A Journey to Africa (Nzulezu).

The emotional moment occurred as he described how several Nigerian actors refused to continue shooting at the stilt village of Nzulezu in Ghana’s Western Region.

In a video that has circulated widely, Lil Win explained that the cast and crew had to travel by boat for approximately 40 minutes each day to reach the filming location. Nzulezu is a unique community where houses are built on stilts over water, and the entire storyline of the film is built around that setting and way of life.

According to the filmmaker, after three days of shooting the Nigerian stars informed him that they would not return to the set or travel on the water again. They suggested relocating the production to another site. Lil Win said the request created significant confusion because the narrative could not simply be moved without undermining the film’s core concept.

“After three days of shooting the movie, all the stars said they would not return to the set or travel on the water again. They asked for the movie to be shot somewhere else, but the storyline was about Nzulezu, where people live on the water, and the entire story was based there. All the stars refused to go back on the water to continue shooting, and there was confusion,” he recounted while visibly emotional.

Lil Win added that he did not entirely blame the actors. He referenced a previous incident in which a Nigerian colleague had drowned while filming a water scene for another production. That tragedy, he suggested, had left some of the visiting stars wary of working on water.

Actors on the Project

The movie features a number of well-known Nollywood performers, including Kanayo O. Kanayo, Patience Ozokwo, Mike Ezuruonye, Charles Awurum, Zubby Michael and Destiny Etiko. Their involvement was part of Lil Win’s effort to create an international African film that could appeal to audiences beyond Ghana. The project follows his earlier cross-border production A Country Called Ghana, which also featured Nigerian talent.

Reaching the set in Nzulezu presented logistical challenges from the outset. The boat journey, the stilt environment and the need to film on water made the production more complex than a conventional studio or land-based shoot.

Lil Win has previously spoken about the scale of investment required to bring the Nigerian cast to Ghana and to stage the production in such a distinctive location.

The emotional interview has drawn attention across Ghanaian and Nigerian social media. Some viewers expressed sympathy for the production difficulties, while others discussed the practical realities of filming in remote or water-based locations.

Lil Win’s willingness to share the setbacks openly has been noted as a rare public acknowledgement of the pressures that come with ambitious cross-border film projects.

Nzulezu itself is a culturally significant site. The stilt village is recognised for its traditional architecture and way of life, making it an attractive but demanding filming location. Any production that seeks to capture its character must contend with the practical constraints of access, weather and safety on the water.

Lil Win has built a substantial following in Ghana through his work in Kumawood and his later efforts to expand into larger, more internationally oriented films. His decision to cast prominent Nigerian actors was intended both to raise the production’s profile and to foster greater collaboration within the West African film industry.

Difficulties Experienced on the Set

The difficulties encountered on the Nzulezu set illustrate the unforeseen complications that can arise even with careful planning.

Despite the challenges, the filmmaker indicated that the production continued after discussions with the cast. He has not provided a full public update on how the remaining scenes were completed or whether any portions of the storyline were adjusted.

The film is expected to be released in due course, though no official premiere date has been announced.

The episode highlights both the ambitions and the practical hurdles of making films that draw on real Ghanaian locations and bring together talent from different national film industries. For Lil Win, the experience of watching his carefully assembled international cast hesitate over the water journey proved emotionally taxing.

His public recounting of those moments has brought the production’s behind-the-scenes struggles into open view.

As the video continues to circulate, attention remains focused on how the final film will reflect the unique setting of Nzulezu and whether the logistical difficulties ultimately shaped the finished product. For now, Lil Win’s emotional account stands as a candid record of the pressures faced during one of his most ambitious projects to date.