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.
Its success on the international stage, from Venice to Los Angeles, Rome to Cape Cod, signals a hunger for African stories told with humor 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.
