Inspired by her brother’s photography exhibition, Video Director, Producer and Screenwriter known as Scilla Owusu during lockdown put pen to paper. Scilla began researching the boxing industry in Ghana and was astonished by the hidden history which encouraged her to write “City of Bukom”. She identified that Bukom had all the ingredients to deliver a successful boxer. Scilla identified that research showed there were certain characteristics required to be a success as a boxer, which were self-confidence, emotional control and mental toughness. As children in Bukom grew up exposed to boxing, as most of them fought on the street as soon as they could walk.

Scilla shared:

“I was so mesmerised with how my brother captures Ghana through his lens and uses his photography to educate us on the culture. There was a photograph in particular which caught my eye of a young boy wearing boxing gloves. As I looked at this photo I found myself wondering who he was, where he got the gloves from and why he had them. The photo was the catalyst. I began researching the boxing industry in Ghana and was amazed to find the hidden history the country had. I was equally amazed as to why it wasn’t something commonly spoken about or embraced in a non-documentary form.”

In the heart of Accra, Bukom, Nii Ayi Ankrah Jr hits rock-bottom and falls into depression after losing his father a past heavyweight champion to sickle cell anaemia. The motivation to keep up his father’s legacy drives him back to the ring unaware of the tough task ahead of him.

To bring this film to life, the team need your help! The story of Bukom is a rich historic one. One that remains untold, Scilla and the team’s film aims to bring it to light and amplify it. Close to Bukom is Jamestown, where some of the scenes will be filmed. Jamestown & Bukom is said to be one of the highest density areas of people living with sickle cell in Ghana. Sickle Cell Disease is a group of disorders that affects hemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to cells throughout the body. 

The team are currently fundraising aiming to raise £25,000 to help make this project happen. Below is a breakdown of how the £25,000 will be distributed to bring the film to life. The team will be shooting over four days in several locations, all coming together and making sacrifices to pull of this hugely ambitious project. This budget will allow the team to share this story to the best of their ability rather than cutting out huge parts of detailed and rich story for our audience. 

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Meet the team
Scilla Owusu – Director & Screenwriter
George Burt – Director Of Photography
Joy Williams – Producer
Bex – Casting Director 
Stone Mason – Stunt Coordinator

Press play below to watch ‘City of Bukom’ campaign video: