The Eyes of Ghana

Kwame Nkrumah was the first president of Ghana and a key figure in Africa’s liberation movement. Nkrumah was also a great lover of cinema and recognised the extraordinary political power of the moving image. To this end, he set up cinemas all around Ghana, while ensuring that his every move was documented on film, courtesy of his personal cinematographer Chris Hesse, who—together with clips from the vast archive he shot—forms the vibrant centre of this delightful film. The Eyes of Ghana is an extraordinary document, not just of Nkrumah’s life and Ghana’s independence, but also of a 20th century that is starting to fade from view, even as its events continue to cascade like dominoes into our current age. A deeply felt love letter to the power of cinema, both as an art form and store of historical record, the film is a must-see for anyone with a devotional love for film.