In Ghana, movie posters aren’t just advertisements; they are vivid, chaotic, and completely original pieces of art.
Back in the 1980s, mobile cinemas were popular. But without access to digital printing or high-res images, they needed something else to grab attention: hand-painted posters.
Local artists painted film posters by hand, from memory or pure imagination. They didn’t worry about staying true to the film. The results were more dramatic (and bloodier) than the films themselves: explosions, muscles, guns, monsters, zombies — even in romantic comedies.
Over time, this bootleg promo art became something more. What began as a practical workaround has turned into a celebrated cultural phenomenon. Today, Ghana’s hand-painted movie posters are coveted collector’s items.
They are weird, wonderful, but most importantly, proudly Ghanaian.
