Accra:A trailer has been released for "The Eyes of Ghana," a documentary that delves into Ghana's independence history and efforts to preserve rare footage from the country's foundational years. Former U.S. President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are executive producers of the film.
According to Ghana Web, the 90-minute documentary was directed by Ben Proudfoot and produced through the Obamas' production company, Higher Ground Productions. Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a private legal practitioner and New Patriotic Party stalwart, highlighted the documentary's focus on Ghana's first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and the cameraman who captured pivotal moments of his leadership in a post on X.
The film, which also features internationally acclaimed streamer IShowSpeed as an executive producer, follows Chris Hesse, Dr. Nkrumah's personal cameraman. It documents Hesse's efforts to recover and return an archive of over 1,300 film reels chronicling Ghana's independence journey and the broader Pan-African movement.
Ghanaian filmmaker and producer Anita Afonu plays a significant role in the documentary, collaborating with Hesse to preserve the archive and make these historical materials accessible to younger generations. The film emphasizes the importance of safeguarding historical archives to provide future generations with firsthand visual accounts of Ghana's political evolution.
The trailer includes scenes of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah delivering some of his iconic speeches, along with footage from Ghana's independence era and the wider African liberation movement, all captured by Hesse.