Once upon a time, long before I started Akwaaba, I DJed a birthday party in Los Angeles for a group of groovy creative types. Turns out to be the birthday boy was filmmaker Jarreth Merz, who would later on piece together An African Election, a fantastic documentary about the 2008 elections in Ghana. The movie paints a compelling portrait of politics in Ghana, giving a much needed nuanced overview of the realities behind Ghana’s 2008 elections, which Western nations often consider Africa’s current democratic success story. I was lucky enough to see the movie last year, but unfortunately most Ghanaians have yet to watch it.
In an effort to spread knowledge about democracy in Ghana, and to ensure peaceful elections next December, Jarreth is going a step further with A Political Safari, by pushing for a grassroots campaign through Ghana’s different regions: his plan is to have the movie translated into the 5 most common languages in Ghana: Twi, Ga, Ewe, Dagbani and Hausa. Then to have a mobile truck bring the movie to the people, particularly in remote areas where the electoral process is most sensitive.
Of course, this fantastic project comes with a price tag, one that we strongly encourage you to chip into. This is a project with legs, this is a project that may actually make a difference next fall. Especially after president Atta Mills’ sudden death last Tuesday, which adds yet another odd twist to Ghana’s election campaign.