When Harmattan Blows

Barbara is 25 and lives in Accra, the capital of Ghana. She is charismatic, straight-forward and self-confident. However, when harmattan blows, that suffocating wind from the Sahara makes Barbara’s courage disappear. Along with the wind, unwanted images from the past return, taking away her peace of mind. As an eight-year-old girl, Barbara shared the fate of thousands of Ghanaian children who were put to slave labour by their own parents. For years Barbara functioned in a world full of abuse, violence and fear. She survived and gained incredible strength from her experiences. Although full of anger, she has been supporting her parents and pays for the education of her younger brothers. But their expectations keep rising and Barbara is fed up with it. One day, together with her eldest brother, Kweku, she returns to her hometown to solve family problems. Before that can happen, Barbara has to finally confront her parents. This is a film about an independent woman who recovers from trauma and, despite all the abuse, is full of dreams and has a lust for life. Creative parts of the film were shot on 8mm.