DEAR VALENTINE: A Short Film with Relevance
Fiona Worlanyo Aku Ansah (@Aku_Purpleheart) is an upcoming filmmaker whose short films focus on and challenges social issues within the Ghanaian society. Her award winning short film, Dear Valentine, Aku brings to the fore the issue of lack of toilet facilities in most homes and how impact negatively on the society and relationships. Read about how young filmmakers changing the scene here
Here is what Jerome Kuseh (@readjerome), a blogger and financial analyst said about the film.
‘(I) loved the use of Ga and Ga music (in the film). Add that to the banku and the general environment and we have a Ghanaian feel to it-something relatable as opposed to the films that try to westernize or anglicize the settings.
Also, the issue of toilet facilities is one many lower-middle class Ghanaians can relate to. We are among the highest countries practicing open defecation but you rarely see representations of that in literature or film. So, this is relevant social commentary.
Finally, the fact that woman left because he doesn’t even have a washroom at home indicates to an outsider the correlation between socio-economic status and sanitary facilities. It’s also an indication of the importance of socio-economic status in attracting a mate. Not to talk of the use of newspaper instead of T-Roll. That’s definitely authentic. It adds to how relatable this film is to the average urban Ghanaian’
Watch this 6 minute educative short film.
