Seperewa: A Reawakened Tradition

We (Defne Inhan and Alec Gary) are set out to tell a rather unique story that Defne stumbled upon in Ghana. It’s the story of a tradition almost erased from memories of people. Many West African countries’ cultures and traditions were lost and/or altered by colonization. Such forced contact inevitably left the region damaged and amnesic of its own life-story.


The story we want to tell is about a musical tradition that is now being reawakened through the collective consciousness of Ghanaian people.


In the 1950s, Nana Agyakor dreamt of an instrument he had never seen before. Acting on his dream, he built the instrument from memory. Thus the seperewa was brought back to life. Today, his grandson Osei Korankye is performing, teaching and reviving the seperewa. During her stay in Ghana, Defne was fortunate enough to learn this very spiritual instrument and build a friendship with Osei Korankye. We feel that exploring this fascinating story will help heal and preserve the diversity of world’s cultures. We hope it speaks to you in the way it spoke to us, and you will feel moved to contribute to our efforts to go back to Ghana and document this unique tradition.


We plan on visiting Ghana from July to September in order to produce this feature-length documentary film. Although we are in the process of applying for grants, we wanted to reach out to friends and family, in case we don’t receive grant money (thank you internet for connecting the world!!!).


What we need money for:

-Travel

-Accommodation

-Gear

-Distribution

-Festival submissions


For those who can contribute, even a small amount, we appreciate it. For those who can’t, sending good vibes is also much appreciated <3