In Conversation with Leila Djansi – #WWTS

Q: Based on your last two productions, Ties that Bind and Sinking sands, it’s obvious that you’re not exactly the quintessential West African filmmaker.Your movies don’t look like the usual, they don’t tell the usual stories, and I read somewhere that you don’t categorize your movies as ‘Ghallywood’ or ‘Ghollywood’ per se. Someone once asked me to compare Leila Djansi and Shirley Frimpong and I was stumped, because there is no comparison as you’re both doing completely different types of movies.

So what’s your driving force? Why did you or should I say ‘How’ did you decide to make these kind of movies? How did you come to the conclusion that you wanted the Leila Djansi brand to be distinct from the regular way other filmmakers do things. 

A: Well, I didn’t come to any conclusions per se. I make films the way films should be made. Thus, any filmmaker who makes films or tells stories the standard way, the right way, would have their work set apart from the rest.

On the other hand, I don’t make films with the intent of making money or fame. I tell stories about things that speak to my heart. Don’t get me wrong, I need my bills paid and my investors repaid, but, telling a good story for me is more paramount.

And the thing about it is, as we say in Africa, good soup draws seats. That statement alone may be debatable though considering the Gap between the money you put into the good soup and the one an undeveloped movie culture or lack thereof allows you to make.

The only thing I set out to do intentionally for my brand is to tell social issue stories and be a loud mouthpiece for change. And the reason I do NOT like to be included in Ghollywood of whatever they call it is because I do not want to be put in a box.

Our feature segment, “Week with the stars“, continues tomorrow with an upcoming actor who is going to give some insight to beginners on how he started off in the industry. We are in conversation with Deyemi Okanlawon of “In Iredu” next time.