Mourning Motives 2007 - Working with the actors
British Ghanaian writer/director Priscilla Afua Kessie, known to most in the industry as Sam, has loved the arts since she was a child. Her parents without realizing, encouraged and fueled her passion by taking her to see pantomimes, theater and movies. Returning to Ghana from England at a young age introduced Sam to a culture she had never seen or experienced – a culture she pays tribute to everyday. As a Wesley Girl’s High School student, Sam was heavily involved in the Drama and Writers Clubs even though she majored in the Sciences.
After high school, Sam immediately left for the United States to continue her university education, studying Psychology and Theatre. After a few years of working the field of science, she knew she wanted to do something more creative. She found herself writing a lot of story ideas in her spare time and even at work.
Sam quit her job and enrolled for media production classes in Atlanta. Through hard work and diligence, Sam stood out and commanded respect for her work from both her classmates and the faculty. Her senior thesis film, Sales Day, caused a stir on campus winning first place at the school’s video festival. She graduated with Magna Cum Laude and was awarded with the Outstanding Student Award in the department.
Sam has worked extensively with the film and commercial community in Atlanta and has participated in numerous projects, working as a Script Supervisor, Set Decorator, Production Assistant, Assistant Director and Director. She loves the theatre and from this love stems her passion for production design. When she is not writing or directing, she focuses on set design and production design. In her spare time, she enjoys of course watching movies, especially old ones as well classic cartoons and anime. “Killing Harry” is Sam’s first feature film and this is a challenge she welcomes openly.
