Documentary, 2018

This film is a continuation of Nezaket Ekici´s first trip to Ghana in 2012 to collaborate with Yao Ladzekpo, a filmmaker, lecturer and heritage scholar, on a documentary project titled “Who We Are”. During the project in 2012, Nezaket witnessed the ‘Azonto dance“ nearly everywhere she went; people dancing freely in the streets, clubs, bars etc. As a performance artist, she was fascinated in particular by the dance as well as the music. In 2014 she again collaborated with Yao Ladzekpo on another documentary project titled “Impressions”, this time in Munich, Germany. She realized through her interactions with Yao that ‘Azonto’ was still very much in vogue in Ghana. Now she is coming to Ghana (2018) to do a new collaboration with Yao, this time to explore the origins of ‘Azonto’ as a social form of music and dance; its sociocultural effects on the people of Ghana and beyond; how it impacts performance art as a discipline and how it happend tob e nearly died out - unlike other older traditional forms of music and dance such as Kpalogo, Adowa etc. This film will trace ‘Azonto’ down to its roots - that is where it originated from and the people who are responsible for bringing it to prominence. It will find out whether there is still some interest in the ‘Azonto’ dance and music. In doing so, she will speak to the people in the villages or towns where it originated from and learn more about their way of life and their daily activities. The ‘Azonto’ dance is very close to performance. Ideas come from the daily live of the people and is manifested through their body language. It could be compared to sculpture – each second brings up a new movement. At the end of the film, the viewer should know the following: what ‘Azonto’ is - ‘Azonto’ as a result of the way of life (daily activities).

Camera, Micro

HD mov 16:9, colour , sound , 37:08 min

Credits Camera: Yao Ladzekpo Editor: Magdalene Morton Sound: Richard Antwe Composer: Joe Quaye Participants in the film: Accra: Terry Bright Kweku Ofosu, John Owoo, Godred Asante, Paapa Kwaku Odoon, Dela Duvi, Isaac Kabore, Samuel Tetteh Madjitey, Benedictus Mattson, Stacey Dela Tamakloe, Tracy Korkoi Armah, Benedicta Asamoah, Dela Botri, Nii Tackie Ashong Tetteh, Adesa Taloi, Abdulai Yusif, Sophia Dzivorm Augustine Wiah, Volta Region_Abume Village: Torgbe Dusornu II, Albert Dorlegb