Talents being wasted — Gloria Sarfo bemoans movie industry decline
Ghanaian actress Gloria Sarfo has expressed frustration over what she describes as the steady decline of Ghana’s once-thriving film industry.
In an Instagram post, the award-winning actress drew a sharp contrast between the stagnation in Ghana’s movie sector and the consistent growth and vibrancy of Nigeria’s film industry.
“Honestly, if you’re in Nigeria as an actor, you’d realize that you’ve really wasted your talent back in Ghana. As in, people are shooting on a daily basis, back to back, non-stop. Meanwhile, in my country Ghana, producers struggle to even shoot one film in a year,” she wrote.
The actress did not hold back as she described the situation as “crazy” and “totally disheartening,” questioning what had gone wrong in an industry that once held so much promise.
“What has happened to our industry? Talents are being wasted. Mercy Lord,” she stated.
In the caption accompanying her post, the actress noted that she had long been warned by friends, family, and fans that she was wasting her talent by staying in Ghana.
She echoed their sentiments, stressing that many exceptional Ghanaian actors could be thriving in Nigeria where opportunities are more abundant and systems are more supportive.
“This must be looked at seriously. Look, there are lots and lots of talent wasting in Ghana year by year, trust me. I’m just here recommending people left right center, because I know what we have back in my country, I knooooooowwww,” the actress emphasized.
She praised Nigeria’s film space for providing room for actors to grow, work consistently, and access a thriving ecosystem of production.
“Great great talents, who’ll do exceptionally well in Nigeria meeeehn. And there are people to push them too. But in our case… Oh my heart,” the actress lamented.
The Efiewura star also reflected on the early 2000s and 2010s when Ghana was seen as the creative powerhouse in the sub-region, often attracting Nigerian collaborations and talent.
“It was the other way round just some few years ago, so what has changed? Is it the numbers, or what?” she questioned.
