WHEN most industry players talk about reviving the local movie sector, suggestions that top the list are appropriate structures, distribution channels, fight against piracy, among others, but Kumawood actor, Kwaku Manu, says all that is long talk because money and nothing else will get the sector back on its feet.

For the actor, all that the industry needs at the moment is for the government to pump in money.

In an interview with Graphic Showbiz on Monday, September 16, 2019, Kwaku Manu said: “Producers have run out of money and nothing is happening. One is expected to organise a premiere when he comes out with a movie, and all that involves money. I believe the industry can be revived when money is invested in the sector.

“That is why I was very sad and worried when Menzgold’s Nana Appiah Mensah got into trouble because he had very good plans for the industry. It is rather unfortunate that his plans didn’t see the light of day because of the challenges his company went through.

“We have only one National Theatre in the country. The government should put up a cinema house in every regional capital where producers can premiere their movies and also show them. This will certainly go a long way to revive the industry.”

Veteran actors have often complained that they have been cast aside, with producers preferring to use younger people to play elderly roles, and when Graphic Showbiz asked Kwaku Manu his view on that, he said he did not see anything wrong with producers casting younger actors in elderly roles.

“That is done everywhere; even in the West, young people are made up to play old men’s roles. The only problem I have with some of our directors is that when the young men are given such roles, they are often not in character and still behave like young men. I blame the directors for that,” he said.

Kwaku Manu has been busy creating content for his Kwaku Manu TV on YouTube, including short videos with his brother, Filaman, in a series titled ‘Firehouse’, as well as his now very popular Aggressive Interviews.

According to him, the Aggressive Interviews had been very inspiring for a lot of people because they learnt so much from the interviews.

“People learn from others’ experiences, while some of the interviews also encourage others. They are generally very educative and full of advice. A typical example was the one I had with Wayoosi. We talked about his health challenges and it was very revealing and amazing what people learnt from that interview,” he stated.

Although he had interviewed many celebrities, Kwaku Manu contended that Aggressive Interviews were not only for celebrities.

“We try to encourage up-and-coming acts as well by bringing them on the show and that has opened doors for a number of them,” he said.

Some of the guests who have passed through the Aggressive Interviews are Asamoah Gyan, Pastor Abbeam Danso, Vivian Jill, Tracey Boakye, Don Little, Dabo, Fameye, Too Much, among others.

Kwaku Manu mentioned the interview with Asamoah Gyan as one of the most interesting. “Gyan was such a delight, but the truth is that almost all my guests are interesting and my viewers learn so much from their experiences. People just love it,” he concluded.