Shirley Frimpong-Manso defends foreign involvement in ‘The Eyes of Ghana’ documentary

Ghanaian filmmaker Shirley Frimpong-Manso has defended the involvement of foreign producers in The Eyes of Ghana, describing criticism of their participation as misplaced.

Speaking to arts and culture journalist Kwame Dadzie on Showbiz A-Z on Joy FM, Shirley said arguments that the involvement of the Obamas, IShowSpeed and other foreign film companies in the documentary was inappropriate overlooked the people responsible for developing and executing the project.

“IShowSpeed coming in would have basically been for the publicity. It doesn’t take away from the people who actually thought the thing and executed it. Somebody said the most expensive thing about film is your time. It’s the time you put in. It’s the ideas behind it. And it’s the people who actually make the move,” she noted.

She added that many world-class films are funded by other people, arguing that there was nothing wrong with a Ghanaian-themed film receiving foreign funding.

Shirley said she was surprised that some people were sensationalising the involvement of foreigners, questioning how Ghanaians could have allowed others to make a film about them.

“First off it’s art. And especially when you have been mentioned in something, you take advantage of it and you own it. What is wrong if somebody even did it, and we had no Ghanaians in it. If it’s shedding positive light on our history, you embrace it and you go with it. Argentinians everywhere, no matter what Messi is doing, for them it’s Argentina. And you claim it and you own it and that’s how it’s supposed to be,” she said.

The Eyes of Ghana is a documentary directed by two-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ben Proudfoot. It follows 93-year-old Ghanaian cinematographer Rev. Dr Chris Tsui Hesse, who served as the personal cameraman to Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and explores his efforts to preserve more than 1,000 reels of historical footage documenting Ghana’s independence and the wider African liberation movement.

The film is produced by a team that includes Proudfoot, Ghanaian producers Nana Adwoa Frimpong and Anita Afonu, Moses Bwayo, Brandon Somerhalder, Ethan Lewis, Vinnie Malhotra and American streamer IShowSpeed, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr. Former United States President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama are executive producers through their production company, Higher Ground. Other Ghanaian contributors include co-producers Yaw Amponsah Apenteng and Justice Baidoo, assistant editor Annabelle Toe, and musician Dela Botri, who contributed as a featured instrumentalist.

The documentary premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival and has since received international recognition. In Ghana, it was screened at the University of Media, Arts and Communication’s Institute of Film and Television in Accra in April 2026. Another free screening is scheduled for Saturday, 31st October 2026, at 6.30 pm at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra, with registration required. The film is also scheduled for a one-night cinema release in the United States and Canada on Wednesday, 28th October 2026.

Shirley Frimpong-Manso is one of Ghana’s established film directors, writers and producers. Through Sparrow Productions, she has made films including The Perfect Picture, A Sting in a Tale, Adams Apples, 6 Hours to Christmas, Contract, Potomanto, Love or Something Like That, Rebecca and Potato Potahto. Her work has earned her industry recognition, including the Best Director award at the Africa Movie Academy Awards and other prestigious awards at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards.

Her latest comedy, Agency for the Dead, is scheduled to open in Ghanaian cinemas on Friday, 30th October 2026. The film draws on Ghanaian folklore and childhood ghost stories, offering a comic take on supernatural beliefs. Its cast includes Anita Erskine, David Dontoh, George Quaye, Joselyn Dumas, Mawuli Gavor, Omari Dwamena, Rhoda Ampene and Yvonne Okoro.