Experiencing Interruptions?

No Vernacular.

No Vernacular is a 30 minute documentary about African Multilingualism, Teachers and language policy that takes you through the historical twists and turns of Ghana's educational quest to teach literacy to its multilinguals.

Step into the fascinating world of education in Ghana, where people speak an incredible 84 languages! How do African teachers manage to teach with so many languages? Let's dive into how Ghana ended up with two language policies and why we switched back and forth. Join me on a journey to explore the lives of amazing teachers in the past and the present who play big roles in Ghana's language adventure.

  • Mama Adobea Nii-Owoo
    Director
  • Mama Adobea Nii-Owoo
    Writer
  • Mama Adobea Nii-Owoo
    Producer
  • Mama Nii-Owoo
    Key Cast
    "Researcher"
  • Janet
    Key Cast
    "Janet"
  • Sheila
    Key Cast
    "Sheila"
  • Beatrice
    Key Cast
    "Beatrice"
  • Louisa
    Key Cast
    "Louisa"
  • Otokunor
    Key Cast
    "Richard"
  • Eric Ofori
    Editor/Cinematographer
  • Alex Bannerman
    Editor/Cinematographer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    English
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Student, Web / New Media
  • Genres:
    Educational, Historical, Research, Contemporary, Indie
  • Runtime:
    30 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    October 30, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Ghana
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of Toronto
Director Biography - Mama Adobea Nii-Owoo

Mama Adobea Nii Owoo is a Postdoctoral Researcher at McGill University and a budding filmmaker. No Vernacular is her first research film, born out of her work with Ghanaian teachers during her PhD journey at the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. In it, she showcases her commitment to making the unique sociolinguistic challenges of Global South people and education systems known and understood. A self-taught filmmaker, Mama draws deep inspiration from her father's work in film and her innate curiosity about the untold stories that people carry with them every day. Mama uses film to draw out narratives that resonate within and outside of academic circles in order to provoke critical thought about how to make education transformational

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