IShowSpeed partners Obamas to bring Ghana history documentary to cinemas on October 28

Streaming star IShowSpeed has partnered with Breakwater Studios and Higher Ground Productions to bring The Eyes of Ghana, a documentary about the preservation of Ghana’s cinematic history, to cinemas for a one-night screening on October 28, 2026.

The screening will take place at participating cinemas in the United States, including major chains and independent theatres. Dates for screenings in Ghana and the United Kingdom have yet to be announced.

The film follows 93-year-old Ghanaian cinematographer Chris Hesse, who served as personal cameraman to Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah, as he races against time and declining eyesight to preserve and repatriate a collection of more than 1,000 reels of historical footage.

The footage documents Ghana’s independence era and the wider African liberation movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

The United States of Africa? Presented by @ishowspeedsui, executive produced by @BarackObama and @MichelleObama, and directed by two-time Academy Award winner @bgproudfoot, THE EYES OF GHANA follows the story of Chris Hesse – personal cameraman to the first president of Ghana. https://t.co/RiAeYBK5LK

— Higher Ground (@HGMedia)

October 15, 2026

According to the film’s synopsis, Hesse secretly moved the negatives to London following the 1966 coup that removed Nkrumah from power, preserving images that might otherwise have been lost.

IShowSpeed, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr., said his visit to Ghana earlier in 2026 deepened his connection to the country and its people.

In a statement, he said he was honoured to help bring Hesse’s story to a wider audience.

He said learning about the cinematographer’s work had strengthened his appreciation of Ghana’s history and the importance of preserving it for future generations.

The streamer has built a global following across streaming and social media platforms, giving the documentary access to audiences beyond traditional film and history circles.

Film explores Ghana’s visual history

Directed by two-time Academy Award winner Ben Proudfoot, The Eyes of Ghana examines Hesse’s efforts to rescue and return archival footage that captures key moments in Ghana’s history and the struggle for African independence.

The documentary also highlights the importance of making historical records accessible to younger generations and preserving the work of African filmmakers.

It premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival and later won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the Hamptons International Film Festival.

The film is produced by Breakwater Studios and Higher Ground Productions, with Barack and Michelle Obama among its executive producers.

The documentary premiered in Ghana in April 2026 at the National Theatre of Ghana, followed by a screening at the University of Ghana’s Cedi Conference Centre, according to information supplied for this report.

It has also featured at international film festivals, including the BFI London Film Festival.

Director Ben Proudfoot has expressed hope that the film could be screened free of charge in schools across Ghana, allowing students to engage directly with archival footage of the country’s past.

Although the October 28 cinema event is confirmed for participating theatres in the United States, organisers have yet to announce dates for further screenings in Ghana and the United Kingdom.

Information on tickets and participating cinemas is available through the film’s official website, The Eyes of Ghana.