Nkrumah's 94-Year-Old Cameraman Gets Global Spotlight As IShowSpeed and Obama's Back Documentary

• Reverend Dr Chris Hesse, who served as Kwame Nkrumah's personal cameraman, is gaining international attention at age 94
• The veteran cinematographer preserved over 1,300 reels of historic footage documenting Ghana's independence era
• IShowSpeed has joined as a producer of a documentary about his life, with Barack and Michelle Obama serving as executive producers

At 94, Reverend Dr Chris Tsui Hesse is receiving global recognition for work he began decades before many Ghanaians were born.

The veteran filmmaker once stood behind the camera of Ghana's first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, capturing historic moments as the country stepped into independence and the wider African liberation movement gathered momentum.

Now, his extraordinary journey is at the centre of The Eyes of Ghana, a documentary backed by former US president Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and American streamer IShowSpeed.

The film, directed by two-time Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot, revisits both Hesse's career and his lifelong efforts to safeguard footage that could otherwise have disappeared from Ghana's history.

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How Chris Hesse protected Ghana's history

Hesse worked as Nkrumah's personal cinematographer during the 1950s and 1960s, travelling with the leader and documenting speeches, official visits and political events.

He was also with Nkrumah on a trip abroad when Ghana's first president was overthrown on 24 February 1966.

Following the coup, many recordings linked to Nkrumah's administration were at risk of destruction. Hesse managed to preserve more than 1,300 reels, with film negatives kept in London for decades.

His surviving archive offers rare views of the country's early years and Nkrumah's ambitions for a united Africa.

The documentary also follows Hesse as his eyesight deteriorates, making the recovery and digitisation of those recordings particularly urgent.

Working alongside young Ghanaian filmmaker Anita Afonu, he hopes to pass his knowledge to a new generation and help audiences see history through the eyes of those who witnessed it.

IShowSpeed and Obamas amplify his legacy

The documentary is executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama through their company, Higher Ground. IShowSpeed, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr., recently joined the project as a producer.

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Following his visit to Ghana earlier in 2026, the popular streamer said learning about Hesse's work deepened his appreciation of the country's people and history.

He has now helped introduce the film to his large international following.

The Eyes of Ghana previously premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival and had screenings in Ghana in April 2026.

Its next major cinema outing is scheduled for 28 October 2026, with one-night screenings planned across the United States and Canada.

For Hesse, the renewed attention means that footage he fought to save more than half a century ago has another opportunity to reach the people whose history it preserves.

Source: YEN.com.gh