Tyler Perry’s latest movie did not only gain traction in Hollywood—it created a global wave that swept through Ghana as well.
Many Ghanaian movie lovers, critics, and film buffs took to various media platforms to comment on or analyse the film upon its release.
While some praised Straw for its storyline, which they said highlighted the challenges faced by single parents, others criticised it as another example of Perry’s overindulgence in sensationalism.
Speaking to Doreen Avio on Hitz FM’s Daybreak Hitz, film producer and director Shirley Frimpong-Manso expressed her frustration over what she described as the Ghanaian media’s excessive focus on Straw.
She argued that if local filmmakers received the same attention, it would go a long way to promote and sustain the Ghanaian film industry.
“Why are we talking about Tyler Perry’s movie when we could easily have that same attention come to a Shirley Frimpong-Manso movie?” she questioned.
Shirley lamented that despite consistently producing high-quality films, her works—and those of other local filmmakers—are often overlooked.
“We have put films out there that critically examine a lot of things. We released a film called Chasing Lullaby on Mother’s Day. It’s a film we shot a few years ago and released on our YouTube page—and you should see the film. It’s a beautiful story that talks about mothers in all forms. But I didn’t see the media pick it up and make a whole song and dance about it like they are doing with Tyler Perry’s movie. He doesn’t care about us,” she said.
Shirley, who has been in the filmmaking industry for 17 years, is widely regarded as one of Ghana’s top directors.
On 25th February 2025, she launched Sparrow Station, a YouTube channel dedicated to showcasing her film productions.
She is known for several acclaimed movies including Perfect Picture, Scorned, Life and Living It, 6 Hours to Christmas, A Sting in a Tale, and Checkmate.