Adapting Daily Drama for the Screen: An Analysis of Chronicles of Odumkrom – The Headmaster (2015) and Reflections of Ghanaian Community and Citizenship

The cinematic construction of time and space, along with storytelling within these parameters, fundamental aspects that characterise film as a mimetic art form, have been widely employed and adapted in Ghanaian film discourse, spanning both popular and art films. However, neither of these cinematic approaches, especially when compared to traditional concepts like daily drama and community theatre, has been sufficiently explored within the Ghanaian context, as exemplified by Chronicles of Odumkrom: The Headmaster (2015). The effort to contextualise and depict filmmaking practices alongside common social issues rooted in Ghanaian communities is a noteworthy achievement. This paper seeks to link Ghana’s independent digital filmmaking ingenuity to broader themes of nationhood, state, and citizenship, by analysing the film. The primary focus is to explore the relationship between citizen engagement in local and national issues, particularly in community interests, and cinematic expression as envisioned by some Ghanaian film artists. The theoretical framework draws on Foucault’s (1977) insights on the modern world and Agamben’s (2008) reflections on Foucault’s ideas. The paper concludes that film is not only a form of professional artistic practice, but also a powerful mediating force within society.