If Ghanaian folklore ever leapt from the pages of a storybook and splashed onto the big screen, it might look and feel like Zoey Martinson’s The Fisherman. Winner of the Fellini Medal at the 81st Venice Film Festival, this magical realist comedy is a cinematic love letter to tradition, imagination, and the indomitable Ghanaian spirit.
The plot is driven by Atta Oko(RICKY ADELAYITAR), a retired fisherman whose life takes an unexpected turn when he meets an opinionated, bougie talking fish. What follows is a delightfully offbeat adventure to Accra, a journey that’s equal parts laughter, magic, and cultural reflection. With his trio of quirky Gen Z “Associates” by his side, Atta sets out to chase his dream of owning a boat, all while learning to navigate the chaos and contradictions that follows.
From its very first frames, The Fisherman feels like something out of a fable. It shimmers with color and texture, from the golden light on Ghana’s coastlines to the streets of Accra, evoking the warmth and whimsy of childhood folktales told under the moonlight.
However, beneath the laughter and magical talking fish is a more personal theme. Martinson’s inspiration grew from her own time spent in a fishing village in Keta, where she witnessed firsthand the erosion of both land and culture due to climate change and rapid development. Through the film’s fantastical lens, she shines a light on the global forces reshaping local lives, and does so with compassion, wit, and a deep respect for Ghana.
“The impact of this film,” Martinson has said, “is to introduce people to a story that has never been told from voices that have been missing in cinema.” And indeed, The Fisherman feels revolutionary in its softness, a portrait of African life that celebrates joy, resilience, and imagination, rather than dwelling solely on struggle.
How did ‘The Fisherman’ come up?
“The film actually started as a short film that was inspired by my time living in a rural fishing village in Keta. The short film was well-received in festivals and ultimately was licensed by HBO Max for broadcast and streaming. I was curious what the larger story might be, so I wanted to work with the script in a lab setting, and the Venice Biennale Cinema lab was a perfect fit. Once we finished the script, they selected the film for financing and off we went!”
Why did you choose to use magical realism in the film? What are your references in this genre?
“All my work in theatre draws on magical realism as a way to explore the inner complexities or psychology of a character. Since this film is a comedy, I thought the magical realism should be a bit more whimsical to help lead our lead character toward inner change. I think I just have an overactive imagination, and so I love to explore our everyday human experience through something larger than ourselves. It’s playful like a child might see the world before we grow up and are told to suppress all our whimsy. It is a great way to present deeper, more painful themes through an artistic lens, like climate change or identity.”
Can you tell us a little more about the choice to focus on the ecological issue?
“The effects of Climate Change are just part of our daily lives now. So ultimately, this story that takes place on the coast of Ghana would have to deal with them because it is currently being eroded by rising ocean levels and the effects that have on the local fishing communities. Since our story follows a traditional fisherman placed in a rapidly developing nation, he is affected by his environment daily. It’s essential to his survival, so he has to find a way to deal with it, so he manifests a bougie talking fish as his guide.”
Is it possible to make the film that you have in your mind with 200,000 euros?
“Yes and no. You always have to create a film that fits within the parameters that you have. But that is also the beauty of Africa. Our cast and crew are masters of being able to take impossible odds and still create beauty and innovation. I wasn’t worried about the budget because I felt so supported by my crew and producers that we would have to figure it out together. But it does mean that I have to be flexible with my vision as a director and create something beautiful within the restraints of a smaller budget.”
What challenges have you had to take on to make this film?
“The timeframe was incredibly fast. 10 months ago, I only had an outline, so it has been an extremely quick process where I don’t get any time to just stop and take some time to reflect on something that wasn’t working. I had to just make a quick choice and live with it. So it can feel very stressful.
But I think the biggest challenge is that when you film, you miss your kids. So I was so grateful for all the support I had at home, so they felt loved and supported when I had to be on set.”
What’s your favourite scene of the film? And the most difficult to shoot?
“This film is a comedy, but not every moment has to be funny. So one of the most powerful scenes is one of the quietest. Two female characters have a conversation in the bathroom where everything actually being said is in the subtext. The actresses (Endurance Dedzo and Adwoa Akoto) do an incredible job conveying a really deep and painful conversation about identity while talking about something completely different. It was a hard scene to direct because I was worried that the audience wouldn’t get what was really being discussed, but once our editor, Jasmin Way, cut the first draft of the scene. I burst into tears because it was so moving, and it actually worked. I never touched that edit since I thought the scene was so powerful. After the premiere, so many women came up to me to share how much they were moved by that scene and how we rarely see women in a space like that.”
Tell us a little bit more about the election of the actors in the film.
“I worked with casting director Mawuko Kuadzi, and he really understands my style and taste in acting since we have worked together in the past. I also had some people that I had worked with before and knew would be perfect in the film. I really just wanted to be surprised, so I erased any previous idea of who I thought this character might be to allow people auditioning to take ownership of the roles. So the actors who are in the film really took ownership of these characters, and they became the perfect fit. Ricky, who plays the lead, is one of the most versatile actors and such a joy to work with. I was so lucky to have him as the lead in my first feature film. He is so seasoned and so generous, he also kept me laughing really hard. This is Endurance Grand’s first feature, but when she came in to audition, she was the perfect fit for the role of ShaSha.”
How is the Venice 2024 experience going with the whole crew presenting the film?
“We weren’t able to have the full cast here because the exchange rate from Ghana Cedi to Euros is really hard and expensive. But the cast and crew that were able to come have had the most amazing experience. Some have been to Europe, but for some, this is their first time out of Ghana. The film has had such a warm reception, with the audience giving them a standing ovation, and people have been coming to them all week, yelling the title of the film and taking pictures with them, mentioning how much they loved the film. I think we were all a bit curious if this film’s humour would speak to an international audience, so I was so excited to hear all the laughter and tears from the audience.”
What are your plans for the film?
“This is our first feature, so we knew how to make the film, but are now learning how to get the film into audiences. We are now reaching out to sales, distribution and looking for a festival premiere in America. We have gotten so much love from Ghana and Nigeria, asking how to see the film because they love the actors in it. We are trying to navigate that space, but any help is greatly appreciated.”
Its success on the international stage, from Venice to Los Angeles, Rome to Cape Cod, signals a hunger for African stories told with humour and heart. It’s a film that delights as it enlightens, reminding audiences everywhere that dreams, no matter how small or fish-shaped, can still ripple into something extraordinary.
As The Fisherman screens this weekend, it’s more than just a movie event, it’s a celebration of storytelling itself. Like a folktale told anew for a new generation, it invites us to laugh, dream, and remember that the sea still holds a little magic for those willing to listen.
