Date of Award
6-26-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Heritage Studies, Ph.D.
First Advisor
Lauri Umansky
Second Advisor
Cherisse Jones-Branch
Committee Members
Roxie Gee
Call Number
LD 251 .A566d 2024 J45
Abstract
The foundation of postcolonial theory rests on the assertion that the specter of colonialism permeates every aspect of society in erstwhile colonial nations. Ghana, originally called the Gold Coast, was a colony of Great Britain until 1957. That the British founded the film industry in Ghana as a tool to indoctrinate their colonial subjects provides a singular opportunity for scholarly exploration. Evaluating Ghanaian cinema from its colonial origins to its post-independence evolution, while incorporating an examination of the myriad political developments that paralleled its progression, helps to elucidate the effects of colonialism on the country’s film aesthetic. After independence, Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of the independent nation of Ghana, utilized a strategy similar to that of his antecedents to engage his constituency. However, with the devout pan-Africanist philosophy that he developed and refined while acquiring his post-secondary education at a historically Black institution in the United States, his message contrasted significantly with that of his colonial predecessors. While Britain’s Colonial Film Unit sought to instill a Western temperament into its subordinates, Nkrumah’s new Ghana Film Industry Corporation desired to create a new, unifying African ethos that superseded tribalism and embraced all Africans, including the worldwide Diaspora. A major proponent of education, one of his most enduring initiatives was sending a profusion of students to study abroad in various countries. Although Nkrumah was deposed and exiled before his vision was realized, his planted seeds bore fruit, and graduates who returned to Ghana shepherded the film industry into the future. Although they subscribed to disparate philosophies, the first independent filmmakers in Ghana were disciples of Nkrumah. Kwaw Ansah and King Ampaw both created landmark films that invigorated Ghanaians and provided their first authentic, cinematic representation on the world stage. Subsequent filmmakers seized the means of production to create their own narratives with mixed results. Utilizing primary-source interviews, secondary sources, and analysis of archetypal Ghanaian films, this dissertation examines the tradition of Ghanaian cinema within the context of significant, societal phenomena through a postcolonial lens.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Jamison, Anwar, "Postcolonial Theory and the Intersection of Ghanaian Cinema and Politics" (2024). Student Theses and Dissertations. 98.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/98
