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Sakawa

Name: Sakawa
Director: Ben Asamoah
Released: 2019
Duration: 81 min

Representation Score

5.9/10

Fair

2019

Director

Ben Asamoah

Runtime

81 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Sakawa presents a sophisticated critique of global socio-economic structures. It challenges the idea of the West as the sole center of progress by showing how individuals in Ghana repurpose digital and physical waste from developed countries. The film excels in centering Ghanaian ability to act and moving beyond simple victimhood clichés. It demonstrates how local actors navigate the morally ambiguous digital underworld. However, it lacks visible engagement with LGBTQ+ identities and does not address disability representation.

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Category Breakdown

Does Sakawa have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film does not explicitly address LGBTQ+ characters or stories, focusing instead on the socio-economic factors behind digital crime.

How does Sakawa portray gender?

Fair

By highlighting Ama, a young mother, the film challenges traditional gender roles. She transitions from a domestic role to an active, tech-savvy protagonist in a male-dominated environment.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Sakawa?

Excellent

The documentary centers a Ghanaian perspective, providing high racial ability to act. It examines how local actors deal with Western electronic waste, challenging the dominance of Western digital narratives.

How does Sakawa represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film critiques global capitalism and its environmental impact, particularly highlighting systemic inequalities between the Global North and the Global South through a localized lens.

Does Sakawa include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities in this work.

Present on Screen

Centers a Ghanaian perspective on global digital issues.
Challenges Western-centric narratives of progress and consumerism.
Provides nuanced ability to act to local actors dealing with global capitalism.
Subverts gender roles by featuring a tech-savvy female protagonist.

Limited or Absent

Lacks visible engagement with LGBTQ+ identities or narratives.
Provides no evidence of disability representation.
Focus remains narrow on socio-economic drivers of digital crime.

Official Synopsis

There’s a treasure trove of information to be found in the poisonous e-waste in Ghana. It’s a relatively simple matter to open up hard drives and gain access to photos and the personal details of their former owners. Equipped with a name and address, almost anybody can be found online. A young mother looks in astonishment at an American street that she has conjured up on Google Maps in a matter of seconds—this is Ama, one of the internet con artists in this film.

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