The Eyes of Ghana 2026 Movie Review Trailer

 Two-time Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot turns his lens toward Chris Hesse, a 90-year-old man brimming with energy who filmed the most significant historical events in Ghana.

Depending on whom you ask, Kwame Nkrumah is either a hero—tragically denied the chance to see his vision realized—or a narcissistic, would-be dictator.

Director: Ben Proudfoot
Stars: Edmund Addo, Anita Afonu, Chris Hesse

As prime minister and, later, president of Ghana, Nkrumah oversaw the African nation’s peaceful separation from Great Britain and became a fervent advocate for Pan-Africanism. He championed the union of African nations into an entity he dreamed of calling the "United States of Africa," convinced that by uniting to control the continent’s natural resources, Africa could break free from colonial influence and emerge as a key player on the global stage. Yet, he also resorted to authoritarian tactics—such as declaring Ghana a one-party state with himself as president for life—which ultimately triggered a coup d’état that saw his statues toppled and his time in power brought to an definitive end.

Like many other major historical figures, Nkrumah was a complex individual: he championed lofty ideals that his own human nature often prevented him from consistently upholding. But if there is anyone who can claim to have truly known him, it is Chris Hesse. This 90-year-old reverend served as Nkrumah’s personal filmmaker throughout his tenure leading Ghana; he traveled the world with his camera, capturing Nkrumah as he met with leaders like John F. Kennedy and sought to persuade the heads of other African states to join his cause. In the early 1960s, Hesse shot more than 200 hours of documentary footage, creating an archive of negatives that chronicles the opening chapters of a nation’s history. Depending on whom you ask, Kwame Nkrumah is either a hero who was tragically denied the chance to see his vision realized, or a narcissistic would-be dictator.

As prime minister and, later, president of Ghana, Nkrumah oversaw the African nation’s peaceful separation from Great Britain and became a fervent advocate for Pan-Africanism. He championed the idea of ​​African nations uniting into an entity he dreamed of calling the "United States of Africa," convinced that such a union—by granting control over the continent’s natural resources—would liberate Africa from colonial influence and establish it as a significant player on the global stage. However, he also resorted to authoritarian tactics, such as declaring Ghana a one-party state with himself as president for life; this ultimately triggered a coup d’état, during which his statues were toppled and he was permanently removed from power.

Like so many other major historical figures, Nkrumah was a complex individual: he championed lofty ideals that his own human nature prevented him from consistently living up to. But if there is anyone who can claim to have truly known him, that person is Chris Hesse. This reverend, now 90 years old, served as Nkrumah’s personal filmmaker during his time leading Ghana. He accompanied him around the world with his camera, capturing meetings with leaders such as John F. Kennedy, as well as efforts to persuade heads of state from other African nations to join his cause. In the early 1960s, Hesse shot more than 200 hours of documentary footage, creating an archive of negatives that chronicles the opening chapters of a nation’s history.

*The Eyes of Ghana*—a new documentary by Ben Proudfoot about Hesse, which explores how the nation’s origins are inextricably linked to cinema—begins by revealing a surprising secret: Hesse’s films were destroyed by fire during the 1966 coup d’état that ousted Nkrumah. Unbeknownst to others, however, the filmmaker had kept a collection of his negatives safe in London. Now in his nineties, he still travels from Ghana to London every year to ensure his life’s work remains secure, clinging to the hope that the archive will be digitized and that his version of the story of Nkrumah will finally be told.

Hesse is beginning to lose his sight—a reality that a man who spent his life looking through a camera lens is not yet ready to accept—but his passion for...

"The Eyes of Ghana" is, at once, a tribute to the power of cinema to transform the world, a retrospective analysis of a nation’s film industry—the absence of which, according to Hesse, has permanently hindered its identity—and a portrait of two men who accompanied Ghana from its very beginnings. Hesse possesses an infectious charisma, and seeing 15 minutes of his film footage—digitized for the first time—is a true gift for history enthusiasts. (Proceeds from the film will go toward the digitization of the remainder of the archive.)

The matter of Nkrumah is more complex: Hesse harbors a clear admiration for his former boss and believes that Western media treated him unfairly, feeling threatened by his anti-capitalist and Pan-Africanist stances. This is a plausible possibility, though the film barely explores the opposing perspective. Hesse insists that he has no intention of swaying anyone’s opinion; he simply wants his films to be seen so that his country’s history is documented, allowing individuals to form their own conclusions about Nkrumah’s legacy. In a sense, this is a half-truth—he clearly hopes his films will lead the world to view his friend in a more positive light—yet it is difficult to dispute the idea that our understanding of history would be greatly enriched by access to more primary sources concerning a figure as complex and influential as Nkrumah.

Proudfoot, an experienced documentarian—winner of two of the last three Oscars for Best Documentary Short Subject—is fully aware that his subject is a gold mine. Hesse’s life story would make for a fascinating film even without his charisma; however, the fact that this 90-year-old man overflows with a zest for life and an inexhaustible passion for cinema makes the director’s task significantly easier. Proudfoot and his team—including Kris Bowers—strike the right (if predictable) emotional chords, accompanying Hesse’s recollections with majestic orchestral music worthy of a classic Hollywood epic. The camera crew manages to capture the glint in Hesse’s eyes as he examines old film negatives or gazes at projectors in operation. The same can be said of Edmund Addo; the elderly cinema owner has dedicated his entire life to reopening the Rex Cinema in Ghana, even at the cost of his relationships with his own children. The audiovisual production is splendid, and the sentimentality is pronounced; the film is more interested in leaning on familiar tropes—the magic of cinema, the vital importance of storytelling—for an already converted audience, rather than critically analyzing its subjects.

But then again… cinema is, in fact, magical, and storytelling is vital. No matter how hackneyed these themes may seem, they work for a reason; it is difficult to finish watching *The Eyes of Ghana* without feeling a renewed sense of enthusiasm, sparked by this 90-minute tribute to such an extraordinary medium. Hesse and Proudfoot take a long-term historical view: even though Nkrumah failed to realize his vision of a "United States of Africa"—and even if the ten people who pick up the torch were to fail as well—the dream will endure, kept alive by Hesse’s films. *The Eyes of Ghana* posits that, while the arc of time is long, it bends toward justice—and cinema can help nudge it a little further in that direction.

Watch The Eyes of Ghana 2026 Movie Trailer