Renowned actor and producer, Mikki Osei Berko has said his major aim, if elected as president of the Actors Guild, is to prioritize local productions over foreign content, particularly telenovelas, which he believes are overshadowing Ghanaian creativity.
Speaking to GhanaWeb’s Elsie Lamar on Talkertainment, Berko, who once threatened to stage a naked demonstration to protest the dominance of foreign productions on Ghanaian screens, expressed frustration over the lack of attention given to the issue.
“A couple of years ago, I threatened that I was going to have a naked demonstration if some of these productions (Telenovellas) were not taken off our screens. Nobody paid attention to me. And I realised that these people wanted to see me naked. They didn’t care about what I was talking about. But it’s going to get to a point where we need to raise our voices, we need to be heard because it’s damaging and we need to make reforms,” he said.
Mikki Osei Berko pointed out the benefits of promoting Ghanaian content, which included boosting the local creative industry and showcasing the country’s culture to the world.
“Our work doesn’t just bring money to our pockets, it sells the country as well. That is what takes what is in the country to the outside world, what we put on our media. So the benefits are enormous,” he said.
In addition to advocating for local content, Berko outlined plans to improve the welfare of actors.
He emphasized the need for sustainable funding, pension schemes, and savings opportunities for industry professionals.
“Even whilst you are working, you should be able to have enough to save and access pensions,” he stated.
Watch the full video below:
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