Ghanaian Movie Producer and Film Director, Frank Fiifi Gharbin, has attributed the decline of the Kumawood movie industry to the severe power crisis, popularly known as “Dumsor”, that plagued Ghana in the past.
According to Gharbin, the frequent power outages had a devastating impact on film production, causing significant delays and increased costs.
He revealed on Oyerepa Entertainment Review that a typical five-day shoot would often take 15 days to complete due to the unpredictable power supply.
“Dumsor severely impacted our production, not just sales. Since electricity was our primary source of power, we struggled to maintain our schedule. Even night scenes required lighting, which was challenging during power outages. As a result, a five-day shoot would often take 15 days to complete due to frequent ‘light offs.”‘
Gharbin shared his personal experience, citing his critically acclaimed film, Black Monkey, which won several international awards but remained unreleased due to the power crisis.
He explained that the lack of electricity prevented people from watching the movie, making it impossible for him to distribute it.
The movie producer emphasized that Dumsor not only affected sales but also crippled production, leading to his downfall in the industry.
“Dumsor took a significant toll on our operations and contributed to my downfall in movie production.
I had produced a critically acclaimed film, Black Monkey, which won several international awards, but the power crisis hindered its release. At the time, people didn’t have electricity to watch the movie, so I couldn’t distribute it. Unfortunately, the film remains unreleased to this day, rendering it a wasted effort.”Fiifi Gharbin has voiced out.
Source: Oyerepafmonline.com/Joseph Marfo
