We are delighted to interview the award winning director, Baff Akoto. His debut documentary Football Fables, provides an unprecedented insight into the inner workings of African football tradition and migration and is described by Empire Magazine as “an insightful and, at times, sobering journey through a multi-billion dollar industry”. This film unfolds through the eyes of Francis, a talented teenager on the brink of a dream transfer; his talent is undoubted; his desire immeasurable; but will that be enough to secure his future?
Francis’ journey sheds light on the relationships between talented young players, agents, managers and bureaucrats. A combination which (in spite of itself) manages to produce some of the best players in the world.
Born in London but you spent some of your formative years in Ghana. To what extent did that experience influence your life or indeed your choice of careers?
Moving to Ghana in my teens defined me in a way that’s hard to articulate. It did give me a tangible relationship with my heritage than might have been the case if i’d stayed in London. This helped when shooting “Football Fables”.
Football Fables has been wowing the film festival circuit worldwide. Does this surprise you?
Its not surprising because the characters in the film embody human aspirations & struggles that are universal. Although until audiences start reacting to your finished film, its difficult to know how well you’ve achieved what you set out to do.
Arguably the portrayal of Africa tends to be one that is often characterised by unsavoury images. Was this something you were conscious of when directing Football Fables?
Yes definitely. There’s a very strong aesthetic to “Football Fables” that exhibits the real Ghana without slipping into hackneyed cliches or stereotypes. It was a balance I wanted to maintain from the start.
Films such as Pumzi, Skin, Invictus and a few African themed documentaries such as the BBC’sWelcome to Lagos and Jonathan Dimleby’s “An African Journey” have shed some light on the continent recently. Are African film productions and Africa themed documetaries finally beginning to make an international impact?
It’s too early to say whether this is the start of a sustained new era in African Cinema or just a momentary spike in activity. If the new crop of directors like Destiny Ekaragha, Wanuri Kahiu, Julius Amedume myself & a handful of others can push on & make seminal feature works depicting compelling, globally appealing stories from the continent, then maybe we’ll look back on this period as some kind of vanguard.
Football Fables is in cinemas from June 4th. For a trailer and TO BOOK CINEMA TICKETS click the poster below.
