A dive into the world of The Fisherman reveals comedy at its base. The film carries a social weight and fascinating politics of contrasts, but also possesses a playful, buoyant energy that lightens its thematic gravity. There is a constant clash between primitivism and progressivism, which produces early friction and misunderstanding between the older and younger generations. Yet as the narrative matures, these opposing forces move toward a tentative compromise and, ultimately, a shared understanding.
By portraying the overlap of a traditional fishing society and cosmopolitan life, The Fisherman explores complex themes of identity, survival, adaptation, power dynamics and the fluid spaces in between. Much like earlier works of African literature, for instance, Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and The Jewel, and—dare I say—African cinema, it reflects the struggle to reconcile a primordial order with one reshaped by Western incursion. The difference here, however, is that, under the directorial affairs of Zoey Martinson, The Fisherman uses interesting, bougie symbols and a quirky narrative rhythm to advance its progressive vision.
“My work usually carries a bit of social justice, but I like to deliver it in a way that feels light and enjoyable,” Martinson says about her general approach to storytelling, which is evident in the effortless way in which The Fisherman engages its audience. Her theatre company, Smoke & Mirrors Collaborative, is known for its social justice themes and has moved around the globe spearheading Art Missions for the United States Consulate General. For her, humour is a mechanism through which heavy themes become soluble and meaning is admissible.
The Fisherman follows the adventures of Atta Oko, an experienced fisherman from a coastal region in Ghana, portrayed by veteran actor Ricky Adelayitar (also known for his roles in Beasts of No Nation, Sweet Palm Wine). Atta is a grumpy old man whose dream of becoming the boat chief is threatened by his traditional leadership ideals and skepticism towards modern youth culture and digital technology. From the reliance on mobile phones and social media to the adoption of a device for tracking fish in the sea, Atta resists developments that he is not comfortable with.
Early in the feature-length film, a group of curious high schoolers, on what appears to be an excursion or research trip, challenge Atta’s knowledge of the sea, grounding their responses in science rather than the old man’s mythic explanations. The experience irks Atta. We then meet a group of market women who have adopted TikTok dance videos to advertise their goods. When one of the women explains this to Atta and afterwards consults the internet to answer a question directed at her, he is disgusted. “This will be my first order of business when I become boat chief—to ban phones, ” he declares emphatically.
But things do not go as expected. As the boat chief title slips away, he agrees to go with a set of three hopeful youths, Shasha, Kobina and Emmanuel, to Accra for a bank loan with which he can acquire a new boat, elevate his status, and possibly re-position him for the title. Taking along a magical talking fish given to him as a gift, Atta travels with the youths to the city. Their mission proves challenging as they struggle to survive in a new environment, taking odd jobs and seeking help from Atta’s daughter and her husband-to-be. When Atta returns to his community and is made boat chief, he relinquishes the position to Shasha and accepts retirement, a move that indicates his transformation from resisting modernity to embracing it.
The inspiration for the film comes from Martinson’s background. Born on the Menominee Nation, northeastern Wisconsin, United States, she has also lived between Africa and the United Kingdom. The award-winning Ghanaian-American filmmaker spent part of her childhood in Keta, a rural fishing village in the Volta region in Ghana, where she had a firsthand experience of the lives of fishermen. Years later, when she became a filmmaker and began working in the Ghanaian film industry, she learnt through her producer Kofi Owusu-Afriyie about the government’s decision to relocate traditional fishermen from Jamestown, the oldest fishing community in Accra, and build a modern seaport. Intrigued by this piece of news and other observed developments from multiple visits to Ghana, she decided to reflect how these changes affected the existence of commoners, particularly people in coastal areas dealing with issues like erosion and sea defense walls. As writer-director, she needed to tell the story in the most humanistic and relatable way possible, which made her create a protagonist that is an aging fisherman forced into retirement. Through the protagonist’s city expedition, Martinson shows us how individuals and groups of different social classes relate with a rapidly changing system that often prioritizes those with access to banks, loans and modern infrastructure over traditional systems.
An exciting element of The Fisherman is the talking fish, a concept that is rooted in the folkloric storytelling traditions of the Ewe region in Ghana where Martinson lived. With this symbol, the film straddles the boundaries between reality and surrealism, showing the interconnectedness of the natural and otherworldly realms with emphasis on how the latter may influence the trajectory of the former. Martinson describes the Ewe people as impressive storytellers, whose tales often mix reality with the mystical, and credits the opening story of her film to a tale she was told while visiting Cape Coast Fort. In The Fisherman, Atta’s worldview and interactions embody this magnificent synergy of human and superhuman energies. He is the only one who hears the talking fish whenever it speaks, and this fish, with its bougie speech patterns and enigmatic style, becomes a guide for the fisherman, easing him into the next chapter of his life and opening him to change. “If he were to suffer a breakdown,” Martinson says over the Google Meet call, “it made sense that a fish, which is central to his life, would guide him through that phase.”
The Fisherman is co-produced by actor Korey Jackson (Luu Vision Media) and Nigerian-American actress Yvonne Orji who doubles as executive producer, with Adam Carboni as cinematographer. For the rural setting, filming took place mostly in Boutre, a fishing community near Takoradi, around Cape Coast, with pickup shots taken from two other coastal settlements, Winneba and Boutre; while the city scenes were shot entirely in Accra.
Though this is Martinson’s directorial debut for a feature, she had previously filmed in the country and understood the procedure involved. As was traditionally acceptable, she and her producer first sought the permission of the community leaders, bringing along gifts for each chief and explaining the project. The chief then let them know the rules to follow and communicated via the community loudspeaker so everyone was aware of the production. One such rule from the Boutre chief was that they were prohibited from filming anyone without their permission or capturing unclad children. They rented the boats used in the film and paid willing locals for participation as extras. To manage the crowd, the crew set up a monitor for curious children and other community members where they could watch the filming process without interfering with the set. This created a cooperative and conducive environment for the success of the production.
The cast of The Fisherman comprises Endurance Dedzo, William Lamptey, Kiki-Romi, Adwoa Akoto, Kiki Romi, Dulo Harris among others. On achieving this, Martinson worked with casting director Maoko Kodazi in a process that began with the prospective actors auditioning on tapes, after which the team in charge narrowed down the outstanding submissions from the first round. Martinson then met the shortlisted actors for callbacks, and it seemed to her that each actor was exactly made for the role assigned. Making Ricky Adelayitar the lead actor was equally an important decision for the production. “He has an amazing range: he can be funny, serious, and deeply moving, ” she says. “Even though his character can be frustrating, he makes you love him. Every actor brought their own personality into the role, and that made the film feel very real.”
The Fisherman recently screened at the 2025 BlackStar International Film Festival, adding another chapter to its series of global wanderings. Premiering in 2024, it became Ghana’s first official selection for the Venice Biennale Film Festival, where it won UNESCO’s Fellini Medal. It has also been screened at the New York African Film Festival (NYAFF), Pan-African Film Festival (PAFF) where it was won the Ja’net Dubois Best First Feature Narrative, New Orleans Film Festival, Miami International Film Festival, San Diego International Film Festival, Cleveland International Festival, and RiverRun International Film Festival. The film is currently showing in the Ghanaian cinemas and is slated for screening at the upcoming Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) in Nigeria this November.
0 Comments
Add your own hot takes