Film producer and director Leila Djansi has reflected on her difficult experiences in Ghana’s film industry, saying some of the professional standards she was once criticised for demanding are now increasingly being embraced by filmmakers.
According to the filmmaker, her insistence on professionalism, quality production and having a strong creative voice often made her a target within the industry, with some colleagues labelling her arrogant, proud and disconnected from Ghanaian filmmaking.
In a social media post, Djansi said her experience had come full circle as she now watched Ghanaian filmmakers place greater emphasis on production quality, equipment, visual presentation and professionalism.
She recalled that her difficulties in the industry began early in her career, when she wrote scripts for films but was not given proper credit because she was relatively unknown and had little influence.
Djansi said her return to Ghana after studying in the United States did not make things easier, as she continued to face resistance whenever she challenged established practices or demanded higher standards.
She claimed that her efforts to organise a film festival and promote professional filmmaking were met with accusations that she was a “know-it-all”, arrogant and had a “God complex”.
According to her, some people also questioned her identity as a Ghanaian and even suggested that her production crew was not Ghanaian.
She said the criticism became so intense that she eventually found it easier, for the sake of her peace of mind, to focus on telling African-American stories rather than the African stories she had originally wanted to tell.
However, Djansi said developments in Ghana’s film industry had vindicated some of the positions she took years ago.
She pointed to the increasing attention filmmakers were paying to equipment, colour, production standards, craftsmanship, professionalism and the presentation of films at international festivals.
“When I see the care being taken on set. The attention to equipment. The attention to color. The attention to craft. The professionalism and presentation,” she said, reflecting on the changes.
Djansi questioned whether her critics had misunderstood her approach at the time.
“So I wasn’t crazy. Maybe I wasn’t arrogant. Maybe I was just early,” she wrote.
While acknowledging that she did not expect everyone to agree with her past decisions, the filmmaker said she believed some industry players owed her an apology for making her feel that her ambition and professional standards were personal flaws.
She said the experience had ultimately become a “full circle” moment for her, as practices she had advocated for years ago were now becoming more accepted within Ghana’s film industry.
