Toronto Pictures: The Present and Future of Socially Conscious Filmmaking
OM-Times: Film authors’ movies present many differences from other film productions. What are some of those differences?
Daria Trifu: Authors’ movies stem from an author’s need to tell the viewers a story. The end product consists of images that reach the brain of the viewers in such a way, that they reflect the direct representations of the images originally formed in the brain of the author. Therefore the author is the uncontested “leader” of the filmmaking process because he or she is the only one who has already seen the film (in his or her own brain). This is the reason for which the author is the one who can cast the actors, make all the choices, compose the team and, consequently, it is understood that he or she should have complete control of the filmmaking process.
The author’s films, such as those of Bruno Pischiutta, are more intimate and may be considered to be ‘hand-crafted’ products, artisan work, rather than products of an assembly line.
OM-Times: PUNCTURED HOPE has enjoyed a lot of recent success. Please share a synopsis of the movie and its success.
Daria Trifu: PUNCTURED HOPE: A STORY ABOUT TROKOSI AND YOUNG GIRLS’ SLAVERY IN TODAY’S WEST AFRICA is the first mainstream feature film which is based on an African story interpreted by an all African cast of professional actors and shot in Africa. PUNCTURED HOPE is inspired by the true life story of an African Trokosi slave. Trokosi is one of the most widespread forms of women’s slavery that exists in the world today. In fact, today, there are 25,000 Trokosi slaves and 2,000,000 women who are genitally mutilated every year.
PUNCTURED HOPE was an official Selection at the Montreal World Film Festival (2009).
OM-Times: Tonye and Ruffy, you are two of the lead actors in PUNCTURED HOPE. What was your personal and professional life like before you participated in the film and what is your life like since you’ve finished filming?
Tonye Akagbo: My goal has always been to become the best actress in Ghana. I never find the time to have a boyfriend, but I am the outgoing type of lady. My professional life before PUNCTURED HOPE was challenging because I had just gained admission at the Ghana Institute of Journalism to pursue a BA in Communication Studies. When the filming started I was a student pursuing an acting career. Now I am a major in Public Relations. Professionally, this film has opened avenues for me both in Ghana and internationally.
Ruffy Quansah: I had just started in the business and I was trying to make it. Now I am a professional actor and an emerging producer. I was recently nominated for an ‘African Academy Award’ as one of the four best emerging African actors.
