Ghanaian Filmmaker Claudia Owusu Wants Black Girls to “Leap Into the Sky”
Image courtesy of the ‘Ampe’ Film
Written by Angel Nduka-Nwosu
Claudia Owusu – a Ghanaian American filmmaker, journalist, content producer and editor – directed the film Ampe: Leap into the Sky, Black Girl. Co-directed alongside Ife Oluwamuyide, the documentary film tells the story of one of Ghana's women-only games called ampe.
Filmed in locations across Ghana and the diaspora, what is striking about Ampe is its dedication to chronicling the experiences of Ghanaian women across age, class and geographical locations.
For one, there is the intentional documentation of the experiences of Ghanaian women who moved from seemingly divergent places like Italy back to Ghana as children. It also follows how these women overcame themes of identity crisis by playing Ampe with other girls at their new school.
A graduate of Otterbein University with a degree in Creative Writing, Owusu has also worked as a writing tutor, copywriter and multimedia teaching artist for Wexner Centre for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio.
Better to Speak recently spoke with Claudia Owusu on what the journey to creating the documentary was like, what her dreams are for Ghanaian women and what collaboration should look like for Black women across the diaspora.
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Better to Speak: First of all, congratulations on your documentary Ampe: Leap into the Sky, Black Girl. It's not often that one sees such dedication about Black women's stories in film and in popular media and culture. What inspired the creation of this documentary? Can you delve a bit more into what made you and your team decide to tell this story?
Claudia Owusu: Our decision to make this film came out of the realization that ampe is slowly disappearing from the Ghanaian-American cultural landscape; and it's now rare to see Ghanaian girls in Columbus, Ohio engaging in the game. [E]ven though Columbus is home to over 10,000 Ghanaian immigrants and stands as a sister city to Accra, Ghana. With each new generation of immigrants, there’s a loss of history and personal connection. Ampe: Leap into the Sky, Black Girl is our way of reconciling and preserving the cultural memory of Ghanaian traditions.
By documenting the experiences of young Ghanaian women in Columbus, and Accra, we want to understand the history of ampe as a coming-of-age ritual across the African diaspora, how it informs the way Ghanaian women view themselves, each other, and the world around them.
Image courtesy of the ‘Ampe’ Film
Better to Speak: I noticed in the documentary that there was an intentional documentation of the stories of Ghanaian women both home and abroad. For example, one of the women had moved from Italy to Ghana as a child. Why do you think it is important for Black women to collaborate across cultures and to centre our stories irrespective of where we find ourselves in the world?
Claudia Owusu: Collaboration is a central part of our filmmaking ethos; and we believe that by opening up a project to the diverse perspectives of a team, it allows it to live more fully. Our stories are so vast and nuanced, and through inviting women producers like Christine Boateng and Juli Sasaki, women subjects, and set designers, we are able to think carefully about the renderings of girlhood on screen and behind the camera.
Better to Speak: When you were creating the documentary alongside your co-director, what was the topmost message on your mind that you wanted to relay to your audience? In essence, what key points did you want your viewers and most especially Black girls watching to take home?
Claudia Owusu: The topmost message for us was to build a world for black girls on screen – to contribute to the growing perspectives of Black girlhood in a space created for us, by us. We wanted to emphasize joy, expression, love, community, and tenderness through the lens of play; and in the process, open the door for other Black girls to contribute to the narrative lineage in their own communities.
Better to Speak: Your documentary Ampe, touches on the subject of female only games and also on how women's sports do not receive as much attention as male sports. As someone who spoke to leading sports personnel in the documentary, what are the changes you hope to see for the future of African women in sports?
Claudia Owusu: The theme of ampe as a sport is something that is still developing within Ghanaian culture and West Africa as a whole. We were moved by the dedicated work that women like Joyce Mahama and Agnes Abrefe are doing, and we hope that through this film, they are able to gain support and visibility for their ongoing project to make Ampe an official sport and take it to the All African Games one day.
Better to Speak: In your creative journey as a filmmaker and journalist, are there areas where you hope to see more improvement for Black women? What are they?
Claudia Owusu: In our creative journey, we hope for more funding for Black women artists on the continent. We are privileged in many ways to have somewhat of an American identity, and we are permitted grants that we can apply for, and artist foundations that are accessible to us. We want to see improvement for artist opportunities in West Africa and beyond. The story of Ampe is not exactly unique when thinking about the wealth of stories that are waiting to be told; and that can’t be done without adequate funding and growth opportunities for young African women filmmakers.
Better to Speak: Whilst creating the documentary, what were some of the key moments that made you proud of embarking on it?
Claudia Owusu: We are most proud of the community we have built around the film. Most of the girls on set were meeting for the first and/or had mutual friends. The space that filtered in was natural, candid, and joyous. And the scene in the salon, for example, was extremely difficult to cut because of how much content we had. We have also been blessed to connect with so many women and girls in screenings of the film; and being able to converse and gather around the film in such an intimate way feels like a gift in and of itself.
Better to Speak: As a Black woman filmmaker, can you list three women in the industry whose work ethic have shaped how you carry yourself?
Claudia Owusu: During the creation of Ampe, we leaned on women filmmakers, writers, and photographers to help shape the lens and atmosphere of Ampe. We deeply admire Ladan Osman, Ashley Pena, Lucille Clifton, Hope Tala, Enny, and Sophia Nahli Allison, amongst many others.
Better to Speak: Finally, if you could give a piece of advice to your teenage version what would it be?
Claudia Owusu: Our advice to our teenage version would be to continue pushing, to explore and take all curiosities and to have fun while doing it; not thrown off about the end result, but rather the journey of experimentation, allowing it to have its time and to move without fear or anxiety.
STAY CONNECTED WITH CLAUDIA, IFE, AND THE AMPE FILM:
Instagram:
Claudia – @lookingfornanayaa
Ife – @ifoluwa_
Official Film Account – @ampestudyfilm
Website: claudiaowusu.com
Angel Nduka-Nwosu (she/her) is a Nigerian writer, editor and journalist.