The Burial of Kojo

The Burial of Kojo is a 2018 Ghanaian drama film written, composed and directed by Blitz Bazawule. Produced by Bazawule, Ama K. Abebrese and Kwaku Obeng Boateng,[5][6] it was filmed entirely in Ghana on a micro-budget, with local crew and several first-time actors.[7] The film tells the story of Kojo, who is left to die in an abandoned gold mine, as his young daughter Esi travels through a spirit land to save him.

The Burial of Kojo
Theatrical release poster
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBlitz Bazawule
Written byBlitz Bazawule[1]
Produced by
Starring
  • Cynthia Dankwa
  • Ama K. Abebrese
  • Joseph Otsiman
  • Mamley Djangmah
  • Kobina Amissah-Sam
  • Henry Adofo
  • Joyce Anima Misa Amoah
  • Brian Angels
  • Joe Addo
  • Emanuel Nerttey
  • Edward Dankwa
  • Zalfa Odonkor
CinematographyMichael Fernandez[1]
Edited byKwaku Obeng Boateng[1]
Music byBlitz Bazawule[1]
Production
companies
  • Wheel Barrow Productions
  • Africa Film Society[1]
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 21 September 2018 (2018-09-21) (New York)
  • 31 March 2019 (2019-03-31)
Running time
80 minutes[1]
CountryGhana
Languages

It had its world premiere in New York on 21 September 2018, at the Urban World Film Festival,[8][9] where it was recognized as Best Narrative Feature (World Cinema).[10] The film received nine nominations at the 15th Africa Movie Academy Awards and won two, including Best First Feature Film by a Director.[11] It is distributed by ARRAY and was released on streaming service Netflix on 31 March 2019,[3][4] making it the first Ghanaian film to premiere in selected countries worldwide, on Netflix.[12][8][13]

Plot

Esi recounts her childhood in rural Ghana, where she lives in a village in a lake similar to the real-life village, Nzulezo, built on stilts, with her father Kojo and her mother Ama, who supplies most of the family's small income through sewing. Kojo grew up in a large city but fled to the village after a tragic event, feeling that "only water could cleanse the past." Esi is close to her father, who takes her around the lake in his boat and tells her stories whose beginnings only make sense if you know their endings. An unexpected visitor — an old blind man from "the realm in-between" where "everything is upside down" — arrives in the village and entrusts Esi with a sacred white bird that he says is being hunted by the crow who rules the land in-between.

Soon thereafter, the family receives another unexpected visitor — Esi's uncle Kwabena, from whom Kojo has been estranged. Kwabena persuades Kojo to bring his family to the city from which Kojo had fled seven years before. There, they live with Esi's grandmother, with whom Esi watches a Spanish-language Mexican telenovela featuring a conflict between two brothers who love the same woman. It transpires that Kojo and Kwabena had also once loved the same woman, who had died on the day of her wedding to Kwabena due to Kojo driving drunk. Kwabena, however, says that the past is the past, and wants Kojo to join him in illegal small-scale gold mining to make money. Initially reluctant, Kojo is finally persuaded, and goes with his brother to an old mine on property now owned by a Chinese company. Without warning, Kwabena pushes Kojo into an abandoned mineshaft and runs away. Esi and Ama go to the police to report Kojo missing. Esi continues to have visions of the "crow who ruled the land in-between." She realizes that the crow is her uncle Kwabena, who also died in the drunk driving crash seven years before, and the sacred white bird is her father, and that only she can find him.

Cast
  • Cynthia Dankwa as Esi
  • Ama K. Abebrese as Older Esi (narrator)
  • Joseph Otsiman as Kojo, Esi's father
  • Mamley Djangmah as Ama, Esi's mother
  • Kobina Amissah-Sam as Kwabena, Kojo's brother
  • Henry Adofo as Apalu
  • Joyce Anima Misa Amoah as Nana, Esi's grandmother
  • Brian Angels as Sergeant Asare
  • Joe Addo as Detective Koomson
  • Emanuel Nerttey as Young Kojo
  • Edward Dankwa as Young Kwabena
  • Zalfa Odonkor as Adwoa

Reception

Critical reception

The film has received favorable reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website, Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 15 reviews, with an average of 9.3/10.[14] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 93 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[15]

Richard Brody of The New Yorker wrote, "Bazawule offers a portrait of a dawning artist that catches the early flame of artistic inspiration from within."[16] John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Viewers may worry that Bazawule's starkly gorgeous pictures aren't going to add up to anything, but Burial satisfies in prosaic as well as poetic terms, supplying an end that makes sense of its beginning. It will leave many who see it eager for the young filmmaker's next fable."[1] Brian Costello of Common Sense Media wrote, "This is a lush and beautiful film, filled with dazzling images drawn as much from magical realism as from the setting itself."[17]

Awards
Year Ceremony Category Nominated work Result Notes
2018 Urbanworld Film Festival Best Narrative Feature (World Cinema) The Burial of Kojo Won [10]
2019 Luxor African Film Festival Best Narrative Feature Won [12]
Africa Movie Academy Awards Achievement in Cinematography Nominated [18]
Achievement in Production Design Nominated
Achievement in Editing Nominated
Best Visual Effects Nominated
Achievement in Makeup Nominated
Best Sound Nominated
Best First Feature Film by a Director Blitz Bazawule Won
Best Actor in a Leading Role Joseph Otsiman Nominated
Best Actor in a Supporting Role Kobina Amissah-Sam Nominated
Most Promising Actor Cynthia Dankwa Won
2020 Golden Globe Awards Best Foreign Language Film The Burial of Kojo Shortlisted [19]
Best Director – Motion Picture Blitz Bazawule Shortlisted


References
  1. DeFore, John (2019-03-29). "'The Burial of Kojo': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  2. "Ghanaian-produced movie to make Netflix debut in March". 18 February 2019.
  3. Ramos, Dino-Ray (2019-02-15). "Ava DuVernay's ARRAY Acquires Surreal Drama 'The Burial Of Kojo', Sets Netflix Premiere Date". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  4. Tetteh, Nii Okai (2019-02-17). "Award Winning Ghanaian Film "The Burial Of Kojo" Is Set To Be Released On Netflix This March". Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  5. "Magical realism in Accra". africasacountry.com. 13 February 2019. Retrieved 2019-04-28.
  6. "Ghanaian-produced movie to make Netflix debut in March". Face2Face Africa. 2019-02-18. Retrieved 2019-04-28.
  7. D'Arcy, Patrick (2017-10-25). "Behind-the-scenes of The Burial of Kojo — a dazzling new film shot in Ghana". TEDFellows. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  8. Tetteh, Nii Okai (2018-08-30). "NEWSBlitz The Ambassador's 'The Burial Of Kojo' Gets World Wide Premiere At The Urban World Film Festival In New York". Kuulpeeps. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  9. "Exclusive: Blitz Bazawule Challenges Hollywood's Africa Narrative With Magical Realist 'The Burial Of Kojo'". Shadow and Act. 2018-09-21. Retrieved 2019-04-12.
  10. Wilson, Tejah (2018-09-24). "Urbanworld 2018 Film Review: 'The Burial of Kojo'". BlackGirldNerds. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  11. "Sola Sobowale, Adesua Etomi win at 2019 AMAA [FULL LIST]". Punch Newspapers. 28 October 2019. Retrieved 2020-06-01.
  12. Gragau, Maulline (2019-03-26). "Ghanaian-Produced Movie, The Burial of Kojo, Wins Award at Luxor African Film Festival". The African Exponent. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  13. Udodiong, Inemesit (19 February 2019). "The Burial Of Kojo: Here is what you need to know about Netflix's next original African movie". Business Insider. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  14. "The Burial of Kojo". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  15. "The Burial of Kojo". Metacritic.
  16. Brody, Richard (2019-03-28). "'The Burial of Kojo,' Reviewed: A Boldly Lyrical Portrait of a Young Ghanaian Girl". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  17. Costello, Brian (2019-03-19). "The Burial of Kojo - Movie Review". Common Sense Media. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  18. Gbenga, Bada (27 October 2019). "AMAA 2019: Here are all the winners at the 15th edition of award". Pulse NG. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  19. Rogo, Paula (November 4, 2020). "'The Burial Of Kojo' Makes History As Ghana's First Golden Globes Entry". Essence. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
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