Ama K. Abebrese Responds to "Beasts of No Nation" Star Strika's Prison Sentence

Ghanaian actress and filmmaker Ama K. Abebrese has expressed heartbreak over the current situation involving Emmanuel Quaye, the young actor who played the character Strika in the internationally acclaimed film Beasts of No Nation.

In a Facebook post, Abebrese shared a throwback photograph taken in 2014 featuring some members of the film’s cast and crew, including several of the young actors who appeared in the movie.

According to Ama K Abebrese, the experience was a first on a movie set for many of the young actors, including Quaye, who is pictured wearing a red shirt in the photograph. She recalled that the young actors were excited about the experience and hopeful about their futures.

“For many of these young actors, including Emmanuel Quaye, who played the role of Strika, this was their first time on a movie set and they had a wonderful time. They had hope for a great future as most young people do,” she wrote.

Beasts of No Nation, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga and released in 2015, went on to become a significant milestone for Netflix, becoming the streaming platform’s first original feature film acquisition. However, years after the film brought international attention to its young cast, Abebrese said it was heartbreaking to learn of reports concerning Quaye’s current circumstances.

She noted that reports indicate that Quaye has been sentenced to prison in Ghana over the theft of state property. “He has made mistakes and he is facing the consequences,” Abebrese stated, while expressing hope that the situation would ultimately become an opportunity for him to change his life.

“I pray that he comes out of this situation a changed man and is able to turn his life around,” she added. Reflecting on the young boy she knew during the production of the film, Abebrese wrote: “This little ‘Emmanuel’ had hope for his future, may he find that again.”

Ama K also addressed conflicting reports about the length of Quaye’s sentence. She noted that initial online reports indicated a seven-year prison sentence, but subsequent reports have stated that he was sentenced to one year.

Her comments have renewed attention on the journey of the young actors who gained prominence through Beasts of No Nation, while also highlighting the difficult realities that can confront young people after experiencing early success.