''The Cursed Ones'' is a 2015

British film The United Kingdom has had a significant film industry for over a century. While film production reached an all-time high in 1936, the "golden age" of British cinema is usually thought to have occurred in the 1940s, during which the directors D ...

that was directed by

Nana Obiri Yeboah Nana Obiri - Yeboah (born March 28, 1983) is a Ghanaian film director. He is known for the 2015 film '' The Cursed Ones'', which received 13 nominations at the Africa Movie Academy Awards, including Best Film and Best Director. Early life Nana ...

and produced by Nicholas K. Lory. The original screenplay was written by

Maximilian Claussen Maximilian, Maximillian or Maximiliaan (Maximilien in French) is a male given name. The name " Max" is considered a shortening of "Maximilian" as well as of several other names. List of people Monarchs *Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (1459� ...

. The film tells the story of a disillusioned reporter and an idealistic young pastor, who fight to free a girl accused of

witchcraft Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...

from the clutches of a corrupt system and superstition in the heart of

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

. The film received 3

African Movie Academy Awards The Africa Movie Academy Awards, popularly known as AMAA and The AMA Awards, is presented annually to recognize excellence among professionals working in, or non-African professionals who have contributed to, the African film industry. It was fou ...

in 2016 for ''Best Director'', ''Best Cinematography'', and ''Best Production Design''. It was nominated for 13 AMAA awards in total, making it the most nominated film of 2016.

Cast

Oris Erhuero Oris Erhuero (Born 23 September 1968) is a British actor, producer, writer, and fashion model. After modelling for several years, he transitioned into television and film, with roles in ''The Adventures of Sinbad'', ''The Bill'', '' Highlander ...

as Godwin Ezeudu *

Jimmy Jean-Louis Jimmy Jean-Louis (born August 8, 1968) is a Haitian actor and producer. Born in Pétion-Ville, he moved to Paris at a young age with his family in search of a better life. His early roles were in French television commercials and Spanish musical ...

as Paladin * Ama K. Abebrese as Chinue * Joseph Otsiman as Pastor John Moses *

Ophelia Dzidzornu Ophelia () is a character in William Shakespeare's drama ''Hamlet'' (1599–1601). She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and potential wife of Prince Hamlet, who, due to Hamlet's actions, ends up in ...

as Asabi *

Fred Amugi Fred Nii Amugi (born 5 November 1948) is a Ghanaian born veteran actor best known for his roles in Holby City, Beasts of No Nation and The Cursed Ones. He rose to prominence for his role in 1985 television series "Opinto". Early life Fred Am ...

as Pastor Uchebo *

David Dontoh David Kwame Dontoh (born 1964) and affectionately called ''Uncle David'', ''"Ghanaman" and "Kofi Abranteɛ"'' (Kofi Gentleman), is a veteran Ghanaian actor and television personality who has starred in numerous local and international films, dram ...

as Bartender *

Rama Brew Rama Brew is a veteran Ghanaian actress, television personality and jazz musician. Early life As a child Rama wanted to be a dancer but her father did not agree. She was then introduced to television by her aunt who worked at the Ghana Broadcasti ...

as Village Elder *

Akofa Edjeani Asiedu Akofa Edjeani (born 20 February 1969) is a Ghanaian veteran film actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a Character (arts), character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre ...

Production

The film was shot entirely on location in

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

. The majority of the film was shot in a single village in the Eastern Region of Ghana.

Release

''The Cursed Ones'' screened at the Hackney Picturehouse in London, England as part of the official selection for the

Royal African Society The Royal African Society (RAS) of the United Kingdom was founded in 1901 to promote relations between the United Kingdom and countries in Africa. The RAS is a not-for-profit membership organisation based in London. In addition to producing its jour ...

's Film Africa festival. In 2016 the film also screened in competition at the

Pan African Film Festival Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is a non-profit corporation in Los Angeles, California, that states its goal is to promote "cultural understanding among peoples of African descent" through exhibiting art and film. It hosts a film festival and an ar ...

in Los Angeles, the

Atlanta Film Festival The Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF) is a long-running, international film festival held in Atlanta, Georgia operated by the Atlanta Film Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Started in 1976 and occurring every spring, the festival shows a ...

, the Helsinki African Film Festival, the 27th Annual

Emden International Film Festival Emden () is an independent city and seaport in Lower Saxony in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia and, in 2011, had a total population of 51,528. History The exact founding date of Em ...

, and the

New York African Film Festival African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF) is a non-profit cultural organization that presents an annual film festival and year-round community programs. Based in New York City, the organization was founded in 1990. The organization is dedicated to promot ...

at the

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...

where it was co-presented by the

Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...

Awards

References

External links

Zissou Pictures Official Film page

The Cursed Ones at Rushlake Media
*
Adventures of Sinbad actor, Oris Erhuero talks about shooting The Cursed Ones
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cursed Ones 2015 films 2015 thriller films Films about witchcraft Films about human rights British films based on actual events English-language Ghanaian films Ghanaian independent films Films about children Films set in Nigeria Films set in Ghana Films set in Africa Films shot in Ghana British independent films 2015 drama films 2010s English-language films 2010s British films Ghanaian thriller films