Where Was Beasts Of No Nation Filmed? Idris Elba’s Phenomenal War Drama Film!

Idris Elba is known for his character-driven roles and nuanced acting. If you’re fond of his work, then you must have watched the movie Beasts Of No Nation (2015). The war drama film follows a brutal warlord of an unnamed African country who trains a young boy to be a part of his guerilla army. In this article, I’ll discuss the movie and tell you where was Beasts Of No Nation filmed.

Idris Elba is a critically acclaimed actor who started his career in the theater industry in London. When he moved to the US, he started working in television, followed by movies. His role as Stringer Bell in the HBO original crime drama series, The Wire catapulted him to stardom. The Golden Globe Award-winning actor has also been in big-budget movies like Thor and Suicide Squad, which was released in 2021. Beasts Of No Nation also stars a number of independent Ghanaian actors like Abraham Attah, Ama K. Abebrese, Kobina Amissa-Sam, and Emmanuel Nii Adom Quaye. 

Now let me give you the answer to your primary question regarding where was Beasts Of No Nation filmed, the war drama flick was entirely filmed in Ghana, West Africa. 

Beasts Of No Nation premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 13th September 2015, followed by its limited release in the United States on 16th October 2015. The war drama film was also released on Netflix. However, now that you have an idea about the movie, it’s time we find out more about the filming locations.

Where Was Beasts Of No Nation Filmed? Let’s See The Locations!

Cary Joji Fukunaga’s Beasts Of No Nation was not a commercial success as it was only released in limited theaters. But the movie was watched by millions on Netflix, where it was officially released. Not to mention the war drama film was also well-received by critics, who went far enough to call it one of the best films of 2015. It also won the Marcello Mastroianni Award at the Venice International Film Festival. Abraham Attah, who played one of the leads, was highly praised and won an award for breakthrough performance at the National Board Of Review Awards.

Fukunaga is a critically acclaimed filmmaker and screenwriter who is known for his arthouse films as well as big-budget mainstream movies. A few of his remarkable works include Sin Nombre, No Time To Die, and Maniac. Beasts Of No Nation got an incredible score of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and a rating of 7.7 on IMDb. Now, let’s get down to business and learn more about where was Beasts Of No Nation filmed.

Ghana, West Africa

Principal photography of the war drama film commenced on 5th June 2014 in the eastern region of Ghana. The majority of the filming was done on locations in Ezile Bay and Koforidua at Akwidaa. Ghana, or the Republic of Ghana, shares its borders with Ivory Coast, Togo, and Burkina Faso. It has a population of 32 million, making it the second most populous African country after Nigeria.

The director of the film Cary Joji Fukunaga stated in an interview that production was a nightmare, especially managing a big foreign crew. He also added feeding the huge cast and crew was a logistical nightmare as well. Many people, before the filming began, suggested Fukunaga to shoot in South Africa because of its better infrastructure. However, irrespective of what everyone said, he went on and shot the film in West Africa.

The costumes of the child soldiers in the movie were inspired by the uniforms of the traditional hunters known as Kamajors. During the production process, Fukunaga faced several challenges. Some of the equipment had to be brought from the UK, the US, and South Africa. 

Fukunaga also mentioned how difficult it was to find local child actors. The casting director, Harrison Nesbit, had to roam around quite a bit from football fields to churches. He even visited a number of internet cafes. He eventually came across Abraham Attah, who was the final choice.

Ghana is best known for its rich traditions, beautiful beaches, and forests. It is also famous for its cultural heritage and diverse wildlife. 

Plot Of Beasts Of No Nation (2015) | A Kid Turned Into A Monster!

The story of Beasts Of No Nation revolves around the character of Commandant, played by Idris Elba, a fierce, merciless, and hard-hearted leader and warlord of an unnamed West African country. Commandant is known for being cruel to whoever opposes him. He also led a large number of guerilla soldiers who would do anything he ordered.

When the Commandant comes across a young boy, Agu, played by Abraham Attah, he forces him to join his group of brutal guerrilla troops. He trains Agu to be a killer and not fear anyone or anything. When Agu kills one of the captives in the Commandant’s camp, he becomes a full-fledged member of his army.

Final Words

Beasts Of No Nation is a serious movie and an important one. True events inspire it. The movie gives us a clear idea of the conflicts and wars that are taking place in a number of African countries. I would suggest you watch this astounding war drama film as soon as possible. Movies like Beasts Of No Nation should be watched and talked about more. Having said that, if you wish to go through more such interesting articles, then keep on visiting the Viebly website.