Vestige of Colonialism? Propaganda in Ghanaian Cinematic Texts

Abstract

This article primarily examines propaganda in Ghanaian film texts. Based on relevant archival documents, video texts and secondary sources, this study attempts to establish the continuities and changes in filmic propaganda. From a longue durée perspective; this paper’s analysis will be focused on the colonial period through the contemporary post-colonial video film practice era in Ghana. A few dominant thematic concerns in contemporary post-colonial video texts have considerably become synonymous with propaganda, thus, this study argues that propaganda in Ghanaian films has shifted from a political nature to a religious or socio-cultural form. The specific narratives of Pentecostal films and their occult genres have frequently presented new identities in Ghanaian video film texts. In this article, the texts of a few selected colonial and contemporary post-colonial films will be critically read to examine the vicissitudes of filmic propaganda. This study concludes that the narratives in contemporary post-colonial films considerably reaffirm the colonial stereotypes about Africans.

Keywords:

• Cinema
• video texts
• propaganda
• gold coast
• Ghana
• colonial

Notes

1 A letter, Foreign and Colonial Film Agents Producers and Distributors to Colonial Secretary. 1921. Accra, 7^th October No 113/32 Public Records and Archives Administration Department (PRAAD), Accra-Ghana.

2 Ibid

3 A letter, The Director of Education to The Honorable, the colonial Secretary. 1938. No 471/6, 13^th January Cinematograph Exhibition in the Gold Coast, Public Records and Archives Administration Department (PRAAD), Accra-Ghana.

4 Dr. Kwame Nkrumah is Ghana’s first Prime Minster and President.