IShowSpeed Joins Barack and Michelle Obama to Bring ‘The Eyes of Ghana’ to Theaters for One Night Only
Oscar-winning filmmaker Ben Proudfoot’s documentary explores a remarkable archive of African independence, with one of the world's biggest digital creators helping introduce that history to a new generation.
History is not always lost because it was never recorded. Sometimes, it disappears because the people who documented it were pushed aside, their work buried and their stories left untold.
For more than six decades, Ghanaian cinematographer Chris Hesse has safeguarded an extraordinary visual record of his country's struggle for independence. His remarkable story is at the center of The Eyes of Ghana, a documentary directed by two-time Academy Award winner Ben Proudfoot and executive produced by former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama through their company, Higher Ground.
The 90-minute film will receive a one-night-only theatrical release on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, across the United States and Canada, with an unexpected addition to its producing team: IShowSpeed, the 21-year-old internet personality whose global audience exceeds 200 million followers and subscribers across platforms.
The partnership represents an intriguing intersection between traditional documentary filmmaking and a generation increasingly discovering history and culture through digital creators.
Preserving Ghana's Independence on Film
Hesse served as personal cinematographer to Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first president and a leading figure in the movement for African liberation. He documented the country's independence from British colonial rule in 1957 and the political transformation that followed.
After Nkrumah's overthrow in a 1966 military coup, much of that visual history disappeared from public view. Hesse, however, had preserved more than 1,000 films documenting the struggle for independence throughout the 1950s and 1960s.
As his eyesight deteriorates, the documentary follows his race to rescue the archive, working alongside young Ghanaian filmmaker Anita Afonu and her classmates. Their efforts culminate in a screening at Accra's historic Rex Cinema, returning these extraordinary images to the people whose history they preserve.
The film raises an essential question: Who controls the historical record, and what happens when the images documenting a nation's freedom are nearly lost?
IShowSpeed Connects Two Generations
For IShowSpeed, born Darren Watkins Jr., the connection to Ghana is personal.
During his 2026 Speed Does Africa tour, the Cincinnati-born entertainer visited Accra, discussed his Ghanaian ancestry and told viewers he was "back home." At the Kwame Nkrumah memorial, he recreated the pose of the independence leader whom Hesse had spent years filming.
"I felt a profound connection to Ghana when I visited this year, and learning about Chris Hesse's work deepened my understanding of the country and its people," IShowSpeed said in a statement.
The contrast between the two men is compelling. Hesse recorded history on motion-picture film, preserving images for generations he might never meet. IShowSpeed broadcasts his experiences instantly to millions of viewers around the world.
Their work, separated by nearly seven decades, demonstrates how visual storytelling can shape our understanding of history.
An Award-Winning Documentary Reaches Theaters
The Eyes of Ghana opened the documentary program at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival and screened in competition at the BFI London Film Festival. Its honors include Best Documentary and the Special Jury Prize at the Africa International Film Festival in Lagos, along with audience awards at the Hamptons and Annapolis film festivals.
Photographed by Brandon Somerhalder, including sequences shot on IMAX 65mm film, the documentary features an original score by Academy Award winner Kris Bowers, recorded with the Chineke! Orchestra and Ghanaian musicians at Abbey Road Studios.
Proudfoot, whose previous Oscar-winning documentaries include The Queen of Basketball and The Last Repair Shop, has built a career exploring individuals whose contributions deserve greater recognition.
With IShowSpeed's involvement, The Eyes of Ghana now has an opportunity to reach an audience far beyond the traditional documentary circuit.
But the film's significance extends beyond its celebrity partnerships. At its heart is a Ghanaian filmmaker who understood that independence was not merely something to be celebrated, but something that needed to be documented and preserved.
After a lifetime protecting his country's visual history, Hesse leaves the next generation with a simple instruction: "Keep on filming."
Where to Watch
‘The Eyes of Ghana’
The Eyes of Ghana screens Wednesday, October 28, 2026, for one night only, at participating AMC, Regal, Cinemark, and independent theaters across the United States and Canada.
Tickets, official trailer, and local showtimes: TheEyesOfGhana.com.
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