Ghanaian filmmaker Socrate Safo has stated that the name of his 2010 movie “Hot Fork” was not chosen on a whim but rather a calculated attempt for marketing purposes.

In an interview on Joy FM on July 12, 2025, the filmmaker explained that the title was carefully considered during the story development phase.

“I did this story in Germany with the Berlin State University. I was there to organise workshops for them with the Berlin Cultural Department so we developed the story. When I came down, we decided to shoot it. And it was Fiifi Banson who motivated that title,” he said.

When asked whether the title was meant to tease or provoke the public, Socrate confirmed that it was.

“It was for marketing purposes. Very intentional. We could have used a knife in the kitchen. That’s the easiest weapon. But there is something called the 10-idea formula. When you are developing a story, you must have ten ideas,” he explained.

Despite the stir the movie title caused back in the day, Socrate clarified that the film itself was not obscene or culturally offensive, but the title made many people uneasy because “fork” sounded like a vulgar word.

According to him, “Hot Fork” is not even his most controversial title.

He cited “God is Wicked” and “Satan’s Wife” as examples of even more provocative names he has used.

When 'Hot Fork' was released in 2010, it drew criticism where some people took issue with the title and assumed the film was sexually explicit.

Socrate revealed that some members of the Cinematography Board of Exhibition at the time were unwilling to classify the movie at all, just because of the name.