Faakor Nutakor is a doctoral student in African Cultural Studies with a minor in Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she specializes in gender studies, postcolonial cinema, and cultural narratives. Faakor brings a unique perspective to her academic work, combining theoretical inquiry with practical experience in the arts and media industries.
Faakor holds a Master of Arts in International Studies with a specialization in African Studies and Gender Studies from Ohio University (2025), where her capstone project examined Women in Nollywood: The Problem of Patriarchy and Gender Stereotypes in Nigerian Films. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Ghana, specializing in Theatre Directing and Script Writing.
Her doctoral research examines the portrayal of women in Ghanaian cinema while considering the tensions between post-colonial legacies and modernity. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates African literature to explore how written and visual narratives shape representations of African womanhood. Through qualitative content analysis, literary comparative analysis, cinematic analysis, archival investigation, and ethnographic studies, her work seeks to contribute to discussions on patriarchy, gender subjugation, and cultural diplomacy through media representation.
Faakor brings extensive experience as a documentary filmmaker, theatre director, creative director, and event producer in Ghana. Her career began at Farmhouse Productions, where she served as documentary producer, events manager, and production manager for high-profile cultural diplomacy projects including MTN Heroes of Change and Vodafone Homecoming – corporate social responsibility programs that highlighted social change in Ghanaian communities and fostered cross-cultural dialogue. As CEO and Creative Director of Colors Event (2020-present), she has planned and executed over 50 large-scale events, achieving a 95% client satisfaction rate. Her leadership in cross-functional teams and vendor partnerships has consistently delivered projects under budget while maintaining high-quality standards.
Faakor has presented her research at several academic conferences, including the ASA Conference (2024) and the HGSA Ohio University Conference (2022). Her work bridges African feminism, motherhood, and womanist scholarship, drawing on her fluency in seven Ghanaian languages and one Togolese dialect to engage deeply with cultural expressions and narratives.
Her theatrical work includes directing and stage-managing several plays, including Etuo Ato Bare (the historic story of Yaa Asantewaa), I Told You So, and Blinkards. These projects have shaped her critical perspective on African identities and cultural storytelling, inspiring her current work that seeks to blend historical contexts, modernity, and Indigenous storytelling to counter colonial narratives in African cinema.
Faakor’s research interests include gender studies and African feminism, postcolonial studies and cinema, West African cultural narratives and literature, comparative analysis of literary and cinematic representations, theatre arts and performance studies, media representation and cultural diplomacy, colonial legacies in contemporary African media, and African literature and film adaptation studies. Her interdisciplinary approach combines her background in the arts with rigorous academic scholarship, positioning her to make significant contributions to African cultural studies, gender research, and cultural diplomacy through media representation.