The Eyes of Ghana: iShowSpeed and Obamas Team Up to Produce Ghanaian Historical Documentary

A historic cross-generational production deal has been struck as American internet celebrity iShowSpeed teams up with former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle to fundraise for a major motion picture. The Eyes of Ghana ” is a feature documentary concerning the life and times of the first Ghana president, directed by two-time Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot, set to enjoy a red carpet, one-night theatrical release across North America on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. The film will open at AMC, Regal, and Cinemark cinemas, offering audiences a chance to experience the rich history of the Ghanaian movie industry.

The documentary tells the story of the famous Ghanaian film director and reverend, Christopher Tsui Hesse, who is close to completing his mission of saving over a thousand reels of celluloid from deterioration. These reels contain highlights of Ghana’s independence history, including Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s presidential years, as well as the contemporary revolution of freedom that occurred throughout Africa in the 1950s and 1960s. The veteran movie director and political activist started his career in 1954 in his birthplace, Osu, Accra, before contributing to the Congo crisis of 1960 and shooting some of the country’s most popular films, including Love Brewed in the African Pot and Heritage Africa .

After Dr. Nkrumah was deposed in a military coup in 1966, Hesse placed his life at risk to save hundreds of film archives from destruction. At the age of 72, the film director was forced to retire and handed over his camera to a youthful crew of Ghanaian historians and archivists, including Anita Afonu and Yaw Amponsah. His life’s work is currently being digitized for restoration and preservation. Throughout the documentary, the film director recalls his adventures in Africa with a youthful zest, and the story comes to an end as he looks back on a career that lasted over half a century. The veteran film director and political activist sees his efforts rewarded when the restored films hit the screens of Accra’s Rex Cinema.

The involvement of iShowSpeed in the production of the documentary is owed to the social media star’s “Speed Does Africa” tour. The 21-year-old internet celebrity embarked on a mission to discover his African roots and visited the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. Upon meeting the veteran film director, Speed became enthralled with the history of Ghana and decided to use his enormous social media audience to promote the documentary to Africans and people worldwide. Speed’s involvement was made official when, in a press release, he spoke of his humility in joining the team behind the cameras that captured history.

The Obamas are financing the film through their production banner Higher Ground in association with Breakwater Studios. The film was praised as an exquisite example of how human endeavor can triumph despite adversity. Ethan Lewis, the head of non-fiction at Higher Ground, spoke of their enormous privilege in collaborating with iShowSpeed and the director to honor Hesse. In a statement, he added that “Higher Ground is committed to finding and amplifying human stories that explore crucial conversations of our time.

Before its North American premiere, the documentary had already premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival’s non-fiction feature program, where it received a standing ovation from the audience. It was then set to screen at the BFI London Film Festival, where it picked up additional awards, such as the Africa International Film Festival’s prize in Lagos, the audience award from the Hamptons and Annapolis film festivals, among others. The documentary film won the Jimmy Stewart Legacy Award.

The documentary had a special preview in Accra, where it was received by a thrilled audience of students at the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC-IFT). The director duo, Chris Tsui Hesse and Ben Proudfoot, met with the students and engaged in a town hall meeting about telling African stories and history while emphasizing the importance of saving the archives for posterity.

As the film prepares for its international release on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, the documentary captures the charisma of pioneering veteran film director Christopher Hesse. Dr. Hesse’s six-decade-long career in cinematography is an inspiration to the youth, who ought to follow his