Directed by Takaya Kawasaki
New York University, USA
Radio Ada, the first community radio station in Ghana, has become a powerful engine of social change for poor fishing communities in this Western African nation.
The film shows how Radio Ada, which broadcasts in the local Dangme language, has helped an illiterate and patriarchal society change and cope with old problems through this new technology. Radio Ada now serves as a forum to address community issues previously not spoken about, like women's rights.
The film shows the special relationship between Radio Ada and its listeners through compelling characters, like Mary Gaduga, a fishmonger who struggles with her polygamous husband who doesn't help feed her seven children.
With the support of the UN, Radio Ada now serves as a role model for many African countries.
Category: Documentary
Run-Time: 47:00
School: New York University, USA
Year of production: 2007
Shooting locations: Ghana, Liberia
Shooting format: MiniDV (NTSC)
Screening format: DigiBeta
People/Crew
Producer, Director, Camera, Editor Takaya Kawasaki
Filmmaker Bio
Takaya Kawasaki
Takaya Kawasaki is a traveler, journalist and singer-songwriter who integrated these careers into documentary filmmaking.
Takaya has traveled to more than 30 countries through academic and professional experiences. By encountering different cultures, he has increasingly realized the vital role of documentary filmmaking in informing people about what is happening in other societies. He believes one of the important missions of documentary filmmaking is to give a voice to the voiceless.
As a journalist, Takaya has worked for more than six years in both print and broadcast media. He worked as a reporter and columnist for the Japan Times, the largest and oldest English daily newspaper in Japan. Takaya also worked as a freelancer for the BBC and Public Radio International, arranging interviews in Asia for their news magazine, "The World."
As a singer-songwriter, Takaya released his first album, Higashi no Sora, in 2005. It won acclaim from many critics in the independent music scene.
Since July 2005, Takaya has lived in the U.S. He is currently studying journalism and documentary film at New York University, on Fulbright and Rotary scholarships, and expects to graduate in May 2007.
At NYU, Takaya has reported on a variety of topics - from a hard news piece on 9/11 victims' families and the controversial memorial construction, to a verite style profile of a breakdancer who performs in the New York City subway. Takaya produced "Good Morning, Dangme" as his thesis documentary project, filming in Ghana and Liberia in the summer of 2006.
Takaya's various experiences as a journalist as well as a traveler and singer-songwriter, contributed in making the documentary "Good Morning, Dangme," which required sensitivity toward different cultures in Africa.
Filmography:
"Good Morning, Dangme" (47 min., 2007)
"Getting Closer to Who I Really Am" (21 min., 1996)
"Girlfriend" (41 min., 1995)
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