With its solid, majestic walls
constantly buffeted by the Atlantic
Ocean, the Elmina Castle in the
Central Region has always been a
strong pull for tourists from all over
the world.
With its solid, majestic walls
constantly buffeted by the Atlantic
Ocean, the Elmina Castle in the
Central Region has always been a
strong pull for tourists from all over
the world.
Built by the Portuguese in 1482, the
fortress that is the oldest European
building in existence south of the
Sahara, also has over the years, been
a magnet for both documentary and
feature filmmakers.
A major film shot there last August
and September was the Danish-
Ghanaian co-produced ‘Gold Coast’.
Until just about a fortnight ago,
shouts of ‘Quiet on the set,’ ‘Roll
camera,’ and ‘action’, echoed across
the big courtyard of the castle as the
Danish and Ghanaian crew and cast
worked hard to film a historical
feature set around 1830.
“For stories of historical nature that
bring Africans and Europeans
together, the Elmina Castle with its
rich history about contacts between
Africa and Europe, offers a unique
ambience for filming,” says writer/
director Kwame Boadi, a co-producer
on the ‘Gold Coast’ film.
“No matter where you come from, you
cannot be told the story of the castle
and not be touched by the layers of
history embedded there. More
significantly, the architecture of the
castle and its location by the sea
offers a lot of aesthetic value to
filmmakers.”
One of the biggest films to have been
produced in the Elmina Castle was
Cobra Verde, the 1987 German-
Ghanaian work that featured the great
German actor, Klaus Kinski.
It was shown widely around the
world, thus exposing the magnificent
castle to people not already aware of
its existence and grandeur.
Producers of ‘Gold Coast’ also say
the film will be distributed worldwide
upon completion by the middle of
next year. There will be two
premieres in Copenhagen, Denmark,
and Accra respectively.
‘Gold Coast’ is about a Danish young
man who has proposed marriage to a
Danish woman. Before they marry;
however, he is sent by the Danish
king to the Gold Coast to help
establish coffee plantations.
He realizes upon arrival that things
are not as smooth-sailing as had
been planned in Denmark.
His attitude changes towards his
countrymen and their role in the
colonies and he also begins to
wonder whether to return to his
fiancé in Denmark or stay in Africa
with a beautiful local girl he has
found.
Some known Ghanaian actors that
played parts in the film included
Wakefield Akuaku, Fred Amugi,
Dominic Demordzi and Akorfa
Edjeani-Asiedu.
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