Set in
the Akim
Abuakwa region of
Ghana, Heart of
Gold is a poetic documentary exploring the changing relationship
people in the region have with gold. Traditionally considered to
possess a spirit like any other sentient being, gold has played an
imprtant part in the history and mythology of Ghana. This is
still evident today, though this relationship is rapidly changing,
as gold becomes a crucial part of the Ghanaian economy, controlled
almost exclusively by multi-national companies.
By treating the mythology as equally factual as the observed
empirical world, Heart of Gold is built on stories told by various
people in the Akim
Abuakwa region and these
stories are woven together by an over-arching story of a young boy
who finds a lump of gold in the river Brim and wonders what to do
with it. This quest leads him to meet a number of people and have a
number of experiences which enlighten us to the spiritual
relationship that people still have to gold.
Featuring Kwasi Akufo as the boy, others appearing in the film
include a retired jeweller, a chief's elder spokeman, a fetish
priestess, galamsay miners and other people from the small town of
Kibi, situated in the heart of the region. Heart of Gold builds on
some stylistic and thematic themes which Erik Knudsen first explored in his previous film set in
Ghana,
One Day Tafo.
While researching and shooting the
film, Erik Knudsen wrote three reports which you can read on this
site. Report one and two were written during his first research
trip to Ghana, while report three covers the period of principal
photography. For future progress on the project, please visit our
news section.
