London screening honours Nkrumah and 103 years of Ghana cinema

A restored Ghanaian film, His Majesty’s Sergeant, has been screened in London to mark Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s birthday and 103 years of Ghanaian cinema.

The legacy of Ghanaian cinema was celebrated in London on Saturday, 19 September, with a special screening of the restored classic His Majesty’s Sergeant (1984) at Genesis Cinema, Bethnal Green.

The event, organised by Flamboyant Damsel Films (GH) and Grace Abounds LTD, a UK-based firm, in honour of the birthday of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and to mark 103 years of cinema in Ghana (1923-2026), brought together a distinguished audience of filmmakers, diplomats and film enthusiasts.

The screening was graced by the Deputy High Commissioner of Ghana to the UK, H.E. Acquinas Tawiah Quansah, who, in his solidarity message, encouraged Ghanaian filmmakers both home and abroad to take advantage of the funds made available by the Government of Ghana and its partners to support film production and distribution.

He also commended the organisers, Ato Yanney Jnr and George Bosompim, for preserving Ghana’s cinematic heritage in the diaspora, and stressed the need for quality productions to be the hallmark of Ghanaian filmmakers.

“This is the second time that I have watched this film, and looking at the quality of the production and the year this film (1983-84) was made, the Ghana Film Industry started well so we need to live up to that expectation,” he concluded.

Also in attendance were key stakeholders from the UK-African film industry, a member of the staff of the British Film Institute (BFI), the Ghanaian community in London, and media partners including Rainbow Radio International.

A major highlight was the appearance of Ghana’s legendary cinematographer, Rev. Dr Chris Hesse, aged 94, who served as Director of Photography on the original film. He was introduced by the MC for the day, Mr Thomas Abor.

After the 68-minute screening, Rev Hesse, who also was the cinematographer for Dr Kwame Nkrumah himself in the 1960s, spoke passionately about his experiences on set, working with the late director Ato Kwamina Yanney Snr, and shooting on 35mm PANAVISION, the first of its kind in Ghana at the time.

The audience was also treated to a live musical performance by FADU, the Dutch-born Ghanaian Afrobeats sensation, who provided a contemporary bridge between Ghana’s classic and modern creative industries.

Directed by the late Ato Kwamina Yanney Snr and lost for over 25 years before restoration by his son, Ato Yanney Jnr of Flamboyant Damsel Films, His Majesty’s Sergeant tells the story of young Gold Coast soldiers recruited into the British Army during World War II and their harrowing yet heroic journey in Burma.

Speaking after the event, the organisers said: “This was more than a screening. It was a tribute to Dr Nkrumah who in 1961 founded the Ghana Film Industry Corporation that made this film possible, a celebration of 103 years of Ghanaian cinema, and a moment to honour our fathers who fought and filmed before us.”

The event was supported by the National Film Authority (NFA), IPMC Ghana, Gatlink Studios and Rainbow Radio International, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Ghana Academy of Film and Television Arts (GAFTA), and National Commission on Culture.