New documentary ‘The Eyes of Ghana’ shows the rise and fall of an African leader
Produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company
A new documentary produced by Barack and Michelle Obama and the popular streamer IShowSpeed is coming to theaters.
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“The Eyes of Ghana” is a documentary about Chris Hesse, the personal cameraman of the revolutionary African leader Kwame Nkrumah. In 1957, Nkrumah became the first democratically elected president of Ghana, after it won independence from the United Kingdom. In 1966, Nkrumah’s government was deposed in a military coup while he was on a state visit to China.
Hesse, now 93 years old, was there to document it all. He even, as the film claims, hid and protected rolls of archival film from Nkrumah’s enemies, who sought to destroy it. The documentary follows Hesse as he uncovers the film after years and screens it publicly in Ghana’s capital of Accra for the first time.
Universal History Archive
U.S. President John Kennedy with Kwame Nkrumah, President of Ghana, in 1961 during Nkrumah’s visit to the USA.
The film is directed by Ben Proudfoot, an Academy Award-winning short film director. It is produced by the Obamas’ production company, Higher Ground Productions, as well as Darren Watkins Jr., a popular internet streamer known as IShowSpeed, or simply Speed.
The film originally premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival and will be released in U.S. theaters on Oct. 28.
You can watch the trailer here.
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