Ghanaian film maker, Kwaw Paintsil Ansah, has told the story behind his newly opened museum ‘Bisa Abrewa’.
As a creative artist and one who has had the opportunity to travel quite a bit around the world, he stated that he observed the Ghanaian story was not being told like it was supposed to.
In an interview with Haruna Babaginda on Y 97.9 FM’s Reggae Republic show, he said, “Growing up, we were given certain lessons in our schools, churches, mosques name it and we saw a plan that has been put in place to make the African feel inferior, as if we have made no contribution whatsoever to world civilization”.
He stated that it was after this observation that he told himself he would embark on a mission to try and make a contribution towards emancipation of the mind of the African.
“So, for over 40 years, I’ve been doing my audio visual works and I realized that a museum that could tell the stories of Africans, our challenges, our contribution to the world, our civilization, our beliefs and values can be put together, so that children who are growing up will not walk with that inferior hunch. But they will feel confident about Africa. That is why bisa Abrewa is there,” he emphasized.
He added that the museum is there to tell the struggling, the golden and the dark side of African stories. “It is also to tell what we’ve been made to believe and also correct the wicked, poisonous story that has been told about us (Africans).”
The 78 year old award winning film maker came up with the initiative to build a museum which is located in Nkontompo in the Western Region.
The museum houses the world’s largest private collection of artifacts, sculpture and audio visual representation.
By: Gyamfuah Owusu-Ackom