Alexandra Duah of Blessed Memory

It has been a decade since Alexandra passed away in 2000. The acclaimed veteran actor from Ghana will be remembered as the fearless Nunu in Sankofa (1993) by Haile Gerima, and for her stunning performance as Efua Atta, the mother of the protagonist Kwesi Atta Bosomefi, in Kwaw Ansah’s Heritage Africa (1989).

I have fond memories of a conversation with Alexandra in 1997, during an interview with her, which is included here as a tribute to her.

I initially trained in cinematography and qualified as a film editor.  People say that I am not very easy to live with because any time I go out of a place and return I am able to detect that a chair has been moved; that a flower has been touched.  My children know how I am and they have begun calling me "Radio Ghana" because I query every thing that I see. I got my actor training from an old actress named Jean P. Martin in London.
I have, over the years, taken acting seriously.  Every little word, every little statement, I make sure that I conduct enough research to be able to know the bearing my statement has on the entire script or story and my relationship to the other actors.  I think about costuming and everything.  When I am on location, I am not just an actress, I am more like a mother who tries to solve problems between artists and producer, but then, having done all these things, I am satisfied with having my name only as actress in the credits. See details regarding interview at the Centre for the Study and Research of African Women in Cinema

Image: African Women in Cinema Archives (Fespaco 1997)

Report by Beti Ellerson