Her Midas Touch

Have you ever seen someone grieving and thought “I wish I could absorb their pain”? But what if you couldn’t turn it off? Would you still do it?
‘Her Midas Touch’ is a personal story about a teenage first generation Ghanaian-Scot (Esther) trapped in a cycle of family abuse as she’s forced to use her special gift on the grieving wealthy to take away their pain - for a profit. The idea first came to me when my close friend’s mother passed away. As an empathic person, I could feel her pain and I just wished I could take it away from her, even if it meant me dealing that pain. And from there, this idea grew into a gripping supernatural family drama that must be told.
Inspired by my own family relationships, I am determined to explore this complex, almost-parasitic dynamic between a teenage girl and her grandmother as Mrs. Gyimah mines their African spiritual roots for cash. In fact, she is a pale version of my grandmother- an incredibly controlling, scary and abusive woman with many dark secrets. In many ways ‘Her Midas Touch’ is my attempt to understand why my grandmother was the way she was. Was there any love there? Or did she just really like having people under her control?
Exploited by her grandmother and by the wealthy white clients, Esther’s a reflection of the UK’s shambolic history with immigrants. The handling of Grenfell, the wrongful deportations of the Windrush generation and more, all show what the establishment thinks of ethnic minorities- particularly Black people. Our value to the system is solely dependent on what labour or knowledge they need from us. Once they no longer need us, we’re discarded. Now with the rise in BLM protests and the spotlight shining on society’s deep-rooted racism, I feel that now is the essential time to tell this story.
As a Ghanaian-Scottish screenwriter, I am confident in crafting a compelling narrative that highlights Western prejudice of African cultures. While Esther’s fictional magic is more low-key and internalised, it still draws upon a wealth of African spiritual beliefs while her grandmother manipulates it by playing up the “magical negro” stereotype.
I'm passionate about telling this narrative about a young Esther’s struggles with her identity as an outsider in her homeland and agency within herself. Through supernatural elements visually heightening the heavy burden of taking other people’s feelings, I believe that ‘Her Midas Touch’ will connect with an international audience.