Ampe: Leap into the Sky, Black Girl by Chineze Okpalaoka and Claudia Owusu (Ghana and Columbus, Ohio)

Ampe: Leap into the Sky, Black Girl

The June 2021 post originally featured the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign announcement (see below). The added text reflects the release of the film Ampe: Leap into the Sky, Black Girl in 2022.

Image: Film poster

Synopsis

Set in the sister cities of Accra, Ghana, and Columbus, Ohio, Ampe: Leap into the Sky, Black Girl is a rhythmic love letter to Black girlhood across the African diaspora. Through the lens of the Ghanaian traditional jumping and clapping game, Ampe, the film takes us on a journey of sisterhood, loyalty, and nostalgia in a space created for us by us. 

Documentary makers:

Chineze Okpalaoka and Claudia Owusu directed the film. Chineze, is a Nigerian-American visual artist and Claudia is a Ghanian-American writer and filmmaker, they are both based in Columbus, Ohio. Nigerian-American Ife Oluwamuyide, associate producer with Chineze Okpalaoka, wrote the screenplay along with Claudia Owusu.

 

Description from Indiegogo: 

"Ampe Study", which follows the journey of Black girlhood through the lens of the Ghanaian traditional game ampe. Ampe is a rhythmic, high-energy game played by girls in Ghana, West Africa. It includes jumping, clapping, and an all-around cheer and hype as two teams select a stepping pattern and face off. The teams have leading players, referred to as “the mothers'', who start the game and encourage players to compete at their best. The innate joy and competitive edge of ampe reveals the desire that Black girls have to not only be set free, but to also feel a range of emotions without judgement.

For more information on the crowdfunding campaign and to make a contribution to support the research and production of the film: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ampe-study-or-leap-into-the-sky-black-girl. While the crowdfunding campaign is now closed, the link is still active.

Writer/Filmmaker Claudia Owusu has created a series of videos on Vimeo to discuss the project focus, its objectives, treatment, and conceptulization.

Ampe Study - Project Focus from Claudia Owusu on Vimeo.

Image created from Facebook photo.