Main content

Far Off Sounds Ep 6 - Chief's Funeral

If you are not affiliated with a college or university, and are interested in watching this film, please register as an individual and login to rent this film. Already registered? Login to rent this film. This film is also available on our home streaming platform, OVID.tv.

"For eight months in 2011 I was living and working in northern Ghana as a videographer. My company gave me a house near a small farming village called Fuo, where I lived alone for most of the time. One afternoon, the day watchman knocked on my door and invited me to the village to film the chief's funeral, which was just starting. I didn't realize that a chief's funeral is basically a huge all-night party involving hundreds of people from all over the country. I went and filmed, and understood almost nothing of what I saw. I sat on the footage for a few years until we started making Far Off Sounds, at which point I arranged a Skype interview with my good friend from Ghana, Hafiz Gbabillana, so he could begin to help me understand what I had witnessed that evening in 2011. This video is a combination of the funeral footage and my Skype'd interview with Hafiz." —Jacob Hurwitz-Goodman

Related Films

Far Off Sounds Ep 18 - Onyx Ashanti Programs Himself

Onyx Ashanti is a Detroit-based Afrofuturist.

Far Off Sounds Ep 5 - Hailu Mergia Takes Off

Hailu Mergia was the leader of one of the biggest jazz funk bands in Ethiopia…

Far Off Sounds Ep 14 - Microtonal Man

Learn about Harry Partch and microtonal music.