The 79th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland marked a historic milestone for African cinema as Ghanaian filmmaker Amartei Armar made a triumphant impression on the global stage.
His debut feature film, E Go Reach We All (Our Time Will Come)—a striking 105-minute drama written and directed by Armar and produced by long-time collaborator Yemoh Ike—clinched two major honours: the coveted Pardo for Change and the Best Male Performance award in the Concorso Cineasti del Presente section for lead actor Idrissu Tontie Jr.
E Go Reach We All follows two young orphans who travel from their village to the bustling streets of Accra to find their only living kin. Driven by sheer survival instincts, they navigate the capital’s unforgiving landscape with humour, dignity, and deep solidarity.
The feature is the evolution of Armar’s acclaimed 2018 short film Vagabonds (which won at the Montreal World Film Festival). Shot on location in Ghana with a predominantly local crew, the film’s post-production was completed in France.
Before taking Locarno by storm, the project spent years gathering international momentum:
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Cannes Film Festival: Won the Focus CoPro Award.
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Development & Pitching Labs: Selected for the Heyazah Screening Lab in Doha, the EAVE Producers Programme (Luxembourg, Austria, Netherlands), and the Atlas Workshop in Marrakesh.
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Financing: Backed by the Red Sea Development Fund, Red Sea Souk Award, and Red Sea Production Fund.
Armar’s big win formed part of an eclectic line-up under the presidency of Maja Hoffmann and artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro.
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Pardo d’Oro (Golden Leopard): Awarded to Romanian director Florin Șerban for his 154-minute drama You Don’t Belong Here (Nu e locul tău aici).
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Prix du Public: Won by Petra Volpe’s English-language debut, Frank & Louis.
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A-List Presence: The festival’s red carpet hosted stars including Monica Bellucci (presenting Ketticè), Isabelle Huppert, Olivia Wilde, and honorees Darren Aronofsky, James Gray, and Isabella Rossellini.
For Ghanaian cinema, however, the night belonged to Armar, Ike, and Tontie Jr., whose double victory stands as a testament to the power of authentic West African storytelling on the world’s most prestigious screens.
