Obama-Backed Documentary ‘The Eyes of Ghana’ Revisits Nkrumah’s Legacy and Fight to Preserve History
A new 90-minute documentary, The Eyes of Ghana, is bringing renewed attention to Ghana’s independence history through the work of veteran cinematographer Chris Hesse, who served as personal cameraman to the country’s first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
Directed by Ben Proudfoot, the documentary features former United States President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as executive producers through their production company, Higher Ground Productions.
The film centres on Hesse’s decades-long effort to recover and preserve a collection of historical footage documenting Ghana’s independence era, Nkrumah’s leadership and the wider African liberation movement.
Hesse recorded significant moments during a transformative period in Ghana’s history, capturing events that reflected the country’s emergence from colonial rule and its role in the broader struggle for African political independence.
Ghana gained independence from Britain on March 6, 1957, becoming a landmark example for other African territories pursuing self-government. Under Nkrumah, the country also became an important centre for Pan-African thought and movements seeking greater unity among African nations.
However, following the military coup that overthrew Nkrumah’s government in February 1966, much of the footage Hesse had recorded disappeared from public view.
The Eyes of Ghana follows Hesse, now in his nineties, as he attempts to recover and return an archive containing more than 1,300 film reels. The effort highlights the challenges involved in locating, restoring and preserving historical material that could otherwise remain inaccessible to researchers and the public.
The documentary also features Ghanaian filmmaker and producer Anita Afonu, who works alongside Hesse in the effort to preserve the archive and introduce its contents to younger generations.
Afonu’s involvement adds a personal dimension to the story, portraying the relationship between an elderly filmmaker seeking to safeguard his life’s work and a younger Ghanaian filmmaker determined to ensure that the historical record is not lost.
The project has also been linked to plans for a public screening at the Rex cinema in Accra. The cinema’s current operational status and the details of any planned screening would need to be confirmed independently.
Beyond Nkrumah’s political legacy, the documentary raises broader questions about who preserves Ghana’s history, who controls access to historical records and whose perspectives are represented when the past is documented and retold.
The recovered footage offers a visual account of Ghana’s independence journey from the perspective of a Ghanaian filmmaker who witnessed and recorded important events. It also provides material for examining the ambitions, challenges and personalities associated with the African liberation movement.
For younger audiences, the film presents an opportunity to engage with the country’s history through original images rather than relying solely on written accounts and later interpretations.
The documentary’s emphasis on archival preservation also highlights the importance of protecting historical materials for future generations. Film reels can deteriorate with age, making recovery, restoration and digitisation essential to ensuring that the images remain accessible.
Through Hesse’s work and Afonu’s commitment to carrying it forward, The Eyes of Ghana connects the story of national independence with the personal responsibility of preserving the memories and records that help define a country’s identity.
The Eyes of Ghana is a 90-minute documentary directed by Ben Proudfoot, with Barack and Michelle Obama as executive producers through Higher Ground Productions.
The story centres on Chris Hesse, Kwame Nkrumah’s personal cameraman. Hesse filmed Ghana’s independence era, Nkrumah’s leadership and the wider African liberation movement. Following the 1966 coup, much of this footage disappeared from public view. This documentary follows his effort, in his nineties, to recover and return an archive of more than 1,300 film reels.
A central figure is Ghanaian filmmaker Anita Afonu, who is also a producer. She works with Hesse to bring this history to a younger generation, including through an intended public screening at the Rex cinema (does it still exist) in Accra. This gives the documentary both a historical story and a personal one: an elderly filmmaker passing his life’s work to someone determined to preserve it.
Its significance goes beyond Nkrumah. It raises the question of who preserves and gets to tell Ghana’s history. The footage offers a Ghanaian perspective on independence and Pan-African ambition, alongside a portrait of the people who recorded those events.
— Gabby Otchere-Darko (@GabbyDarko) October 16, 2026
Source: Thepressradio.com
