How do we get Yaa Asantewaa onto the big screen?

Happy Women's History Month! This marched into our lives before we knew it and then I started thinking a lot about Yaa Asantewaa. In fact, nothing speaks more of Women's History as dominantly as the story of the one-time queenmother of Ejisu. She is a symbol of a leading lady, having led the Ashanti people against the British in the War of the Golden Stool. I've discussed the legend of Yaa Asantewaa and how it should be in a movie many times, notably with the GhanaThink community. Paa Kwesi got us started when he revealed his infatuation with epic movies. When I started celebrating Ghanaian movies, I championed the idea again. and it made me ask questions about Yaa Asantewaa. I posted "Me, am waiting for a Yaa Asantewaa movie o!" on Facebook.

And then, this happened.

• Sangu Delle, Mirian Diop and Rita Afrakomah Nketiah like this.
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  Deji Ojo Dude! Have u been reading my mind for the past 3 months? I even sent Spike lee a tweet to look into it!!

  7 hours ago via mobile · Like
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  Ɔdadeɛ Ato Ulzen-Appiah hehe... Spike Lee? I would rather someone like Leila Afua Djansiworked on this. We've discussed this Yaa Asantewaa movie idea at the GhanaThink Foundationfor years now.

  7 hours ago · Like · 1
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  Yaw Owusu https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2501159321007&set=a.1841465789081.102905.1013653745&type=1&theater
  

  
  

  Heritage

  
  

  Yaa Asantewaa in War Regalia.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z_ImVo50x8&feature...See More

  By: Yaw Owusu

  7 hours ago · Like · Remove Preview
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  Ɔdadeɛ Ato Ulzen-Appiah awesome! I was looking for pics of Yaa Asantewaa o!

  7 hours ago · Like · 1
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  Yaw Owusu Regarding the Yaa Asantewaa movie, talk to Roy T. Anderson, a Hollywood director and producer who directed the documentary "Akwantu - The Journey."https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2585996041872&set=a.1841465789081.102905.1013653745&type=3&theater
  

  
  

  Heritage

  
  

  Director Roy T. Anderson (right) and his wife.
  VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/wat...See More

  By: Yaw Owusu

  7 hours ago · Like · Remove Preview
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  Ɔdadeɛ Ato Ulzen-Appiah nice. will have to find his contact and drop him a line. thanks

  7 hours ago · Like · 1
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  Yvonne Darkwa-Poku I think Leila Afua Djansi would be the perfect fit for a movie like that.

  6 hours ago via mobile · Like
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  Deji Ojo Would love to have a hand in this. Let me know if u get any leads

  5 hours ago via mobile · Like
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  Leila Afua Djansi Thanks people, for the vote of confidnece. But you know the sad truth is, 80percent of Ghanaians really don't care about Yaa Asantewaas. Another percentage don't care for histric films, another percentage don't even know who Yaa Asantewaa is. Really, the only people who know about Yaa Asantewaa are Ghanaians. She's not MLK and she's not Columbus. A movie about her will not go anywhere and you'd be lucky of 20000 Ghanaians patronize it. 
  The only way to tell her story is via a documentary or get NAFTI students to do something. That's the sad but honest truth. No foreign filmmaker cares about her unless you're giving them a reason to. The movie Namibia by Charless Burnett is an example.

  4 hours ago via mobile · Edited · Like
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  Ɔdadeɛ Ato Ulzen-Appiah But a great film but a great film maker stands a great chance, Leila. Even if it's loosely based on the Yaa Asantewaa story. Take the example of "I sing of a well". It's loosely around Mansa Musa (I believe) and it did well. The documentary sounds good too.

  3 hours ago · Like
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  Leila Afua Djansi Ato, i sing of a well did not do well in ghana or anywhere. it had critical acclaim. but i sing of a well and its issues do not permit it to be a prototype. i sing of a well is patronized by educational institutions here in America. you'd need not less than 10 million dollars to really, really make a yaa Asantewaa film. how do you expect to make it back? critical acclaim does not pay bills. YA is not Roots you know. Again, if you want to make it hollywood way, being that your hero is a woman is the first holdback. to make a YA film, you must first start it as a documentary. but i can also tell you for free that the people who will pay for this film are tired of the slave trade saga. its played out. Ghana should be the best place to finance it and make it a national movie. that would be the ONLY way to go. BUT, the mentality of filmmakers out there will kill the dream before it takes 2 steps.

  3 hours ago · Unlike · 1
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  Ɔdadeɛ Ato Ulzen-Appiah great insight Leila Afua Djansi. Interesting revelations on "I Sing of a well", it kinda of was your first movie too o, could we argue that your subsequent ones have done better?

  3 hours ago · Like
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  Ɔdadeɛ Ato Ulzen-Appiah I agree on the Ghana funding, hence my not jumping on Deji Ojo's comment to Spike Lee. I think even getting a great stage play out by the NAFTI folks would be a good launching pad. The Ghana Tourism Authority should have interest in this. Aside making a great movie to cover a great Ghanaian story, I believe the movie could do wonders for the tourism industry too.

  3 hours ago · Like · 1
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  Leila Afua Djansi My subsequent ones did better because of 3 reasons. 1. I was working for myself and by myself. I was not reporting to anyone and no one was partnering with me. i was working on my own terms. 2. ISOAW did not do well also because it was not produced and...See More

  3 hours ago · Edited · Unlike · 1
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  Ɔdadeɛ Ato Ulzen-Appiah more insight! I've not really heard you say this anywhere. There are a couple of leads and decisions, make we drive them see. Have there been a any successful crowdfunded movies? This could be one.

  3 hours ago · Edited · Like
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  Leila Afua Djansi But, generally, my materials do NOT do well in Ghana because I am not considered as one of them. and the materials are also not what they like. My sister who supports all my work once asked me. when are you going to do a glamour movie.that question was loaded. it said a lot. If i want my material to do well in Ghana, i gotta come down to their level.

  3 hours ago · Like
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  Ɔdadeɛ Ato Ulzen-Appiah Leila Afua Djansi, personally, I think you have done well in Ghana. Home is always a launchpad for folks to get international stardom. Compare your average Ghanaian musician based in the US, his/her struggles to make it big. Contrast that with ...See More

  3 hours ago · Edited · Like · 1
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  Ɔdadeɛ Ato Ulzen-Appiah For posterity sake, I'm gonna have to put this in a blog post o! 

  3 hours ago · Like
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  Leila Afua Djansi lol. you should. i miss reading ur blog.

There have been some documentaries. See a Youtube clip of one. According to Wikipedia, a television documentary by Ivor Agyeman-Duah entitled Yaa Asantewaa - The Exile of King Prempeh and the Heroism of An African Queen was premiered in Ghana in 2001.^[8] A stage show written by Margaret Busby, Yaa Asantewaa: Warrior Queen, featuring master drummer Kofi Ghanaba and with a pan-African cast, toured the UK and Ghana in 2001-2001.^[9][10] A radio drama by the same author was also serialised 13-17 October 2003^[11] on BBC Radio Four's Woman's Hour.^[12][13]
We want a movie! Who wants to get cranking on this?