THE EYES OF GHANA
Special Features: Pre-recorded intro by Barack and Michelle Obama
In his documentary feature debut, two-time Academy Award®-winning director Ben Proudfoot revels in the power of cinema through the eyes of the remarkable yet under-recognized Ghanaian filmmaker Chris Hesse. Hesse captured essential footage of the political workings during the African independence movements throughout the mid-20th century as a personal cameraman to Kwame Nkrumah, revolutionary leader and Ghana’s first prime minister. Through Hesse’s vital lens, we witness the rise and fall of Nkrumah’s leadership: from Ghana’s freedom from colonial rule to his dreams and campaign for a united Africa to the ’66 coup that saw his deposition. When that happened, all footage of Nkrumah was thought to have been lost or destroyed. Now in his 90s, Hesse, with the help of Anita Afonu, his mentee and a promising filmmaker in her own right, seeks to recover and restore over 300 hours in archive footage of Ghanaian history to revitalize a new generation of future leaders and artists. Executive produced by the Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions, THE EYES OF GHANA spotlights this contagiously optimistic, ardently passionate and singular figure in Ghanaian cinematic history who, much like his previously presumed demolished oeuvre, was almost lost to time. (Note courtesy of AFI FEST.) DIR/PROD Ben Proudfoot; PROD Nana Adwoa Frimpong, Anita Afonu, Moses Bwayo, Brandon Somerhalder, Ethan Lewis, Vinnie Malhotra. U.S., 2025, color, 90 min. In English, Twi and Ga with English subtitles. NOT RATED
Run Time: 90 Minutes
Opening Date: Saturday, March 14, 2026
Genre: Documentary
