Hyperlinks: Sakawa

An intimate look at the lives of Ghanaian internet scammers.

Uncovering the secret lives of Ghanaian con-artists who trawl dumped e-waste for data, this intricate and meditative documentary centers on those who catfish unsuspecting Americans and Europeans as a means of escaping extreme poverty. A hyper-real aesthetic complicates Ben Asamoah’s exploration of his desperate subjects, as the film begins to resemble a narrative feature.

“Sakawa is compassionate without resorting to maudlin, one-dimensional sympathy, as dignifying of its subjects as it is willing to show some indelicate realities.” - Beatrice Loayza, MUBI Notebook

Directed by Ben Asamoah | 81 minutes | 15+ | NSW Premiere

Country: Belgium, Netherlands

Year: 2018

Language: Akan, English, Ewe