Movie producer Ola Michael has urged the Film Classification Committee to implement stricter regulations to address the increased use of strong language and insults in Ghanaian films.
His call for action follows actor Agya Koo’s criticism of the prevalence of insults and explicit content in movies.
Ola Michael acknowledged that the use of insults has become ingrained in Ghanaian cinema, but emphasized that its excessive presence has led to a culture where films are not appreciated unless they contain numerous scenes featuring insults.
He pointed out that this trend has spilled over into real life, with individuals seeking to gain social media followers and audiences by creating content centered around insults or using them as a form of comedy.
Ola Michael proposed that the Film Classification Committee enforce stricter measures including instructing producers to reduce the use of strong language, mandate the removal of some scenes or assign higher age ratings, and restrict the movie’s exhibition in certain venues or time slots.
“If you bring a movie for classification, they can take a look and tell you ‘there’s too much string language, go and take some of them out, else we rate the movie 18 or 16’. This means there are certain places you can’t show the movie, and if it is for TV you cannot show it at certain times,” the movie producer explained.
According to Ola Michael, such measures would compel producers to be more mindful of the content they create, especially considering its impact on distribution and audience accessibility.
He also encouraged producers to focus on creating well-structured scripts that minimize ad-libbing, which often leads to the spontaneous use of insults for comedic effect.
This comes after actor Agya Koo expressed his concerns, criticizing the portrayal of graphic sex in films and insults, citing its detrimental impact on societal morals, particularly among young viewers.
Agya Koo emphasized that children often watch these movies and could easily adopt negative behaviors such as the use of insults, as well as being influenced by explicit scenes.
Agya Koo stated that he has consistently advised filmmakers against such practices, fearing that it could drive audiences towards foreign productions.
Despite encountering resistance, Agya Koo expressed gratitude for the support received from some filmmakers who shared his concerns.
Ola Michael Reveals An Account Of An Observation He Made
Ola Michael disclosed what he claims transpired among members of Afua Asantewaa’s team during her Guinness World Record attempt for the longest singing marathon in the world.
According to his account, during his visit to Afua at the Akwaaaba Village for the singing marathon attempt, some members of her management team were engaged in a backstage argument over the rules of the contest.
He observed that one individual opposed the idea of people being in the box with Afua during her performance, citing potential rule violations. On the other hand, another person disagreed, insisting that it would not have any impact on their attempt.
Ola Michael stated that Afua’s team didn’t have a comprehensive understanding of the rules. He mentioned that this contributed to her disqualification.
“One of her team members was uncomfortable with Mercury Quaye being in the box because he felt it could jeopardize the whole thing. Another person argued that it does not breach any of the rules. So I was observing what was going on backstage but I didn’t know about the strict rules by then,” he said.
Afua Asantewaa’s sing-a-thon attempt was not successful due to guidelines around rest break timings not being met. These rules are standard across all of our ‘longest marathon’ records.
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