The Fisherman, Ghana’s first official selection at the Venice Film Festival in 81 years, drew standing ovations from sold-out screenings at the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) on Friday, as Lagos audiences connected with its story of coastal communities displaced by climate change and rapid development.
The themes of the UNESCO Fellini Medal-winning film resonated deeply in a city where similar pressures threaten fishing communities from Makoko to the Lekki-Epe corridor. Many attendees noted the parallels between the film’s Ghanaian setting and Nigeria’s own coastal crisis.
“I loved the relatability of the story and how such a serious issue was handled with comedy,” said a Lagos-based audience member at Friday’s Landmark Lekki screening, reflecting the broader sentiment in the packed theatre.
Director Zoey Martinson, who attended the premiere, spoke about her formative years living in fishing villages in Ghana’s Volta region and how those experiences shaped the story of Atta Oko, a retired fisherman who teams up with a talking fish to chase one last dream.
“Growing up in those communities, I witnessed how climate change and rapid development were displacing people from traditions that had sustained them for generations,” Martinson told the AFRIFF audience. “I wanted to use comedy to address these serious issues because that’s how the people I lived with processed their own struggles: with humour and resilience.”
The film’s Venice selection shattered an 81-year-old ceiling for Ghanaian cinema at one of the world’s three most prestigious film festivals. The UNESCO Fellini Medal, awarded since 1989 to films promoting peace and intercultural dialogue, places The Fisherman alongside past recipients including Clint Eastwood, Vanessa Redgrave, and Abbas Kiarostami.
After sweeping Best Director and Best Narrative Feature at the American Black Film Festival and screening across four continents, the AFRIFF premiere marks the film’s expansion beyond its 19 September Ghanaian theatrical release.
Lead actor Ricky Adelayitar, known for Netflix’s Beasts of No Nation, delivers a performance critics call career-defining. “Atta represents everyone who sacrificed their dreams to survive,” he said. “Whether you’re in Accra or Lagos, that struggle is universal.”
The film features breakout performances from Endurance Grand, a dancer making her acting debut, alongside veterans Adwoa Akoto (I May Destroy You) and Fred Amugi. Nigerian-American comedian Dulo Harris voices the talking fish.
Shot entirely in Ghana, The Fisherman demonstrates the technical excellence possible with African resources while challenging Western expectations that African films must focus on trauma. Its success proves comedy and magical realism are equally valid forms of African expression and equally marketable globally.
