Veteran Ghanaian filmmaker Socrate Safo has opened up about one of the biggest regrets of his career, saying he feels guilty for failing to properly preserve records of the films that helped shape Ghana’s movie industry.
The renowned producer, who says he has produced more than 100 movies, explained that he did not understand the importance of keeping records of his work during the early years of his career. As a result, many of his films, scripts, posters and production documents have been lost.
Socrate Safo said many people now know him more as a social commentator and often overlook his achievements in the movie industry. According to him, part of the reason is that he failed to properly document and promote the work he did over the years.
“I blame myself. I haven’t projected myself and my works well. I blame ignorance because I didn’t get that orientation from the beginning. I didn’t know to keep all these things for the future. I did not have the guidance to understand that films, scripts, posters and production documents would one day become important historical materials,” he said.
The filmmaker revealed that he later realised the value of preserving his works and tried to collect copies of them, but by then, it was too late.
Socrate Safo said his experience should serve as a lesson to young creatives, urging them to properly document and archive their works so future generations can appreciate their contributions.
Despite his regret, he said he remains proud of his role in Ghana’s movie industry, having contributed to an era that helped grow local film production and entertainment in the country.
