• reFrame Films is the home of award-winning filmmakers Garry Beitel and Barry Lazar, who produce enduring social documentaries about compelling contemporary subjects.

In Danku, the Soup Is Sweeter


(1991) 30 minutes

As in many African villages, life in Danku in the north of Ghana has been a struggle for subsistence. The women bear the burden of caring for the children, raising food, and trying to make life better for their families. Through a special project of CUSO and the Canadian International Development Agency, the women were given access to credit for the first time.

This film shows how this little bit of financial aid allowed the women to become “entrepreneurs”. We follow two women who take advantage of this program, borrowing a little bit of start up money. We see how hard they work to pay back their loans. One makes butter from arduously pounding vegetables; the other cooks delicious soup from seasonal crops. They each sell their products from door to door and at the market near their village. Eventually their efforts make a small profit that affords their families some more comforts.

“This beautifully filmed video captures the rhythms of village life and the tenacity of the women who, though uneducated, are willing to undertake new responsibilities.” Filmmakers Library NY

“Gives a new appreciation of the contributions and capabilities of uneducated rural women.” Third World Resources

Co-produced by Imageries and Garry Beitel. Broadcast on TV5.

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