It is no news that a lot of Ghanaians have and continue to look down on several movies made in the local dialect and especially the ones referred to as Kumawood but comic actor Kwaku Manu believes it is time people appreciated such movies despite the many challenges as it has been instrumental in sustaining the Ghanaian movie industry.
In an interview with Graphic, the actor is quoted as saying,
“I have travelled to many places in the world and I have not seen any country that worships and appreciates other people’s language like Ghana. I have had the privilege of being in France and Italy and it will surprise you to know that these people cherish their respective languages so much. You hardly hear a native of France speaking English, but that is the opposite here.
“We sit in Ghana and appreciate China and Indian movies that we don’t understand yet when we use our own language as a medium of communication in our local movies, we say it is ‘kolo’. I find it interesting to see people behave as if it is a taboo or a curse to speak our own mother tongue. Besides, is it by force that we all speak English?” he asked.
The actor continued to debunk allegations of illiteracy among Kumawood actors and actresses saying,
“It is not as if Kumawood actors are illiterates. Some can fluently speak the English language, but they feel they can express themselves better when they act in their own language. And I have always wondered if that is also a crime?” he noted
