The Eyes of Ghana: Film Screening and Q&A

From two-time Academy Award–winning director Ben Proudfoot, The Eyes of Ghana (2025) follows 93-year-old filmmaker Chris Hesse, the personal cinematographer to Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah. As his eyesight fades, Hesse races to preserve and repatriate a hidden archive of more than 1,000 films documenting the birth of African independence in the 1950s and 1960s. Long unseen by the public, these images have the potential to reshape the historical record of Ghana, the African continent, and the global story of decolonization.

Executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, the film is both a portrait of a life’s work and a meditation on archives, memory, and the urgent task of safeguarding endangered historical materials.

The screening will be followed by a conversation and audience Q&A with members of the filmmaking team.

Nana Adwoa Frimpong, Producer, is Vice President of Partnerships and Impact at Breakwater Studios, where she develops strategies that connect documentary storytelling to public engagement and social impact. The Eyes of Ghana, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, is her first feature documentary.

Gabriel Rivera, Archival Producer, is an Emmy Award–winning researcher whose work for Netflix, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime Video focuses on uncovering rare and historically significant materials that bring overlooked stories to light.

Seating is first come, first served. RSVP does not guarantee entry. Late entry is not permitted once the program begins.

Presented in partnership with Breakwater Studios and Higher Ground.

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Host or Publisher The Wende Museum