Leila Djansi
Leila Djansi is a Ghanaian-American film director, screenwriter, and producer whose work includes Ties That Bind and Like Cotton Twines.
Ties That Bind: A drama film directed by Leila Djansi about three women whose lives converge in Ghana. This ensemble drama is among Djansi’s best-known films.
Screenwriting: The craft of writing scripts for films, television, or other screen media. Djansi’s screenplays give her stories their character conflicts and narrative structure.
Ghanaian cinema: Films produced in Ghana or made by Ghanaian filmmakers, spanning local and international audiences. Djansi’s early filmmaking and many of her stories are rooted in Ghana.
Ama K. Abebrese: A Ghanaian-British actress, television presenter, and film producer. She starred in Ties That Bind, connecting her performance to Djansi’s best-known drama.
Trokosi: A traditional practice in parts of Ghana and neighboring countries involving the servitude of girls at shrines. Like Cotton Twines dramatizes the practice and its effects on girls.
Like Cotton Twines: A drama film by Leila Djansi about a young Ghanaian girl caught in a system of ritual servitude. It foregrounds Djansi’s engagement with gendered power and harmful social practices.
Film directing: The work of shaping a film’s performances, images, pacing, and overall creative execution. Directing lets Djansi carry her scripts into a distinct visual and dramatic form.
Ghana: A West African country on the Gulf of Guinea, with Accra as its capital. Ghana is the setting and cultural reference point for much of Djansi’s work.
Martha Ankomah: A Ghanaian actress and film producer. She appears in Like Cotton Twines, a film directed by Djansi.
Gender in African cinema: The study of how African films represent gender, sexuality, and social power. Djansi’s films place women’s choices and constraints at the center of their narratives.