F is for Film 🎦

Can I call a 3 minutes video a film? My answer is a resounding yes!

Yh yh yh, don’t come at me! I am a big star and I am blooming.😂

This film was shot by a brilliant London-based film director of Ghanaian heritage. Her aim? To create a series of video portraits that celebrate the success and vitality of the women in Ghana. She goes by the name Meena Ayittey, here’s a link to her page: https://www.meenamachina.com

Ask me how I landed this gig? I follow Hamamat on Instagram, she is this brilliant charismatic Ghanaian woman who inspires millions to be their true authentic African self. I noticed Meena on Hamamat’s page and just ‘shot my shot’ requesting that I wanted to be part of her documentary. I mean, I didn’t think it will go anywhere, it was just something in the wind. Imagine my excitement when she DM me asking if I was serious about being part of the documentary. Tell me, who would say no to such an offer?

The day of the shoot was exciting. I had prepared my answers to all her questions. I chose the University of Ghana to shoot the video, mainly because of the gardens and the serenity of Pent and boy was I nervous. I asked myself why I had agreed to do this in the first place. Anyways, she was great at her job and she was pretty easy to talk to.

Two things I wish I could change in this documentary?

1. Looking back, there are some questions I would have definitely answered differently.
2. Also, I could have calmed myself down before answering the questions. You can literally hear me panting throughout the whole video. To give you a fair perspective, this video was shot four (4) years ago

But all in all, it was a really great learning experience and I will do it again given the chance. In a decade, which will be 2029, I will come back and answer these questions. Heck! Who has the time to wait that long? I might just answer them in my next post.

Before we delve into the video, here are the answers I prepared:

What is your name and what do you do?

I’m Desaha Tobil and I currently work as an Account Executive for a mobile marketing company called Viotech. I am in my third year. (I no longer work here).

What is your earliest memory?

At about four years old, I stood on our dining table and tried flying. I came down with such a crush. I cried for a few minutes and went back again to try if flying was possible. I wanted to fly so bad.

I remember in those times, I always had this dream of always falling. 😨

I didn’t like the feeling that came with it, so I thought if I learned how to fly, then I could change my falling dreams into flying ones.😃

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

To give out my all in all my endeavors and not hold back.

What inspires you?

One of my biggest inspirations is my personal experiences and the environment I find myself, such as things that I see or hear throughout my day, or what I see other people go through or what people tell me.

What do you feel are the misconceptions that people outside of Africa may have about Ghanaians/ Africans?

Africans/Ghanaians cannot do well without the west. That we cannot be our own people. I know we have set the pace where we always run to the west to request funds for our development. So much  that I believe it has been generalized in we not being in existence if not for their aid.

But I believe if we stood our ground to develop our own land and people, we will definitely grow.

What do you know now that you wished you had known 10 years ago?

I wish I had known not to be too hard on myself but to learn from my mistakes and move on. Because honestly worrying about something you can’t change gets you nowhere.

Can you tell me something that nobody would guess about you?

That I am an absolute lover of horror movies😈, Courage the cowardly dog show introduced me to this genre.

What do you believe in?

I believe in myself.

I believe in God.

I believe in hope, compassion and forgiveness.

I believe in love. I’m a sucker for that.

If you could be doing anything right now, what would you be doing?

Travel through every country for the rest of my life because I believe in experiencing the culture of a country first-hand.✈️

What are the biggest challenges that you have had to overcome in your life?

My biggest challenge was, believing in myself. I have always had a very shrill voice and also I have thought I was ugly and no one wanted to be friends with me. I started keeping to myself and not even attempting to make friends.

Then a beautiful part of my life came along when I got to the university I started to step out of my comfort zone and did things that people who knew me didn’t expect of me. I became more talkative and got more involved in activities.

What is the most important thing to you?

My relationship with my friends and family. I believe no man is an island, so I try my best to nurture and cherish my relationships

What do you wish someone would ask you?

I wish someone would ask me – “What do you miss most about being a child?

And my answer would be, Takoradi, I miss running at the seashore barefooted, laughing and chasing my sisters. I miss the fact that the only languages I could speak were Talen, my native language and Fanti.

What are your passions?

Passion to lead a healthy life, find the best and become the best version of myself.

How would you describe yourself?

I consider myself a fun person.  I like to read, play word games, and sing. I am honest, sincere, independent, and I try to fix things as much as I can on my own first.  

What are you most afraid of?

Dying, for some reason. The real issue is that one day, my family, friends and everyone I love including myself would die. So scary!

What do you like the most about yourself?

I like that I am a creative thinker and  easily make conversations with people.

I’m adventurous, and I’m always open to new ones.

I like my commitment to the improvement of myself

If you could change the world, what would you change?

If I could change the world I would eradicate poverty. In many parts of the world, millions of people are living in extreme poverty while in some other parts, there is extreme wealth. I would have made it possible for everyone to have a fair share of the world’s resources.

Is there a meaning of life?

I believe the meaning of life is to leave the world a better place than we met it. Show love and care where it is needed and lend a helping hand if you can

What is your biggest regret in life?

I don’t consider them as regrets but as lessons to become a better version of myself.

I can’t believe you have read my post to this end. Thanks for all the love and support.🤗🤗

Now, let’s watch the video and let me know your thoughts.

Cheers! 🥂