Veteran Ghanaian actor Adjetey Anang has urged African creatives to take control of their narratives and invest more effort in telling their own stories instead of waiting for foreign industries to do it.
According to the celebrated actor, Africa has many powerful and unique stories that deserve to be told by its own filmmakers and storytellers. He stressed that relying on Hollywood to interpret African experiences could lead to situations where outsiders profit from stories that originally belong to Africans.
Speaking about the future of the local film industry, Anang emphasised that Africans must be proactive in creating, producing, and distributing their own content. In his view, storytelling is not only about entertainment but also about preserving culture, identity, and history.
He explained that the continent has countless untold stories that reflect its traditions, struggles, and achievements. However, he believes many of these narratives remain unexplored because the industry has not fully invested in developing and promoting them.
The actor encouraged filmmakers, producers, and creatives across Africa to collaborate and build stronger structures that will support the growth of the film industry. According to him, collective effort is necessary if African cinema is to compete globally and maintain ownership of its stories.
Anang also noted that when Africans fail to tell their own stories, foreign filmmakers often step in and reinterpret those narratives, sometimes presenting them from perspectives that do not fully represent African realities. For this reason, he believes it is important for African creatives to lead the process of documenting and sharing their experiences with the world.
The renowned actor, who gained widespread recognition for his roles in television series and films such as Things We Do for Love and YOLO, continues to advocate for the development of Ghana’s film industry and the promotion of authentic African storytelling.
He believes that by investing in original stories and supporting local productions, the African film industry can grow into a powerful cultural force capable of influencing audiences worldwide.
