Popular streamer IShowSpeed has joined The Eyes of Ghana, a documentary exploring Ghana’s independence history and the efforts to preserve rare footage from a defining period in African history.
The American content creator, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr., joins the project as a producer alongside Breakwater Studios. Higher Ground Productions, founded by former US President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama, serves as executive producer.
Directed by Ben Proudfoot, a two-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker, the documentary follows 93-year-old Chris Hesse, who served as the personal cameraman to Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah.
Hesse preserved more than 1,000 reels of historical footage documenting Ghana and Africa’s independence movements during the 1950s and 1960s. Following Nkrumah’s overthrow in a military coup in 1966, the collection remained hidden for decades.
Now facing deteriorating eyesight, Hesse is working to preserve the archive and pass his legacy to a younger generation of Ghanaian filmmakers, including Anita Afonu.
IShowSpeed’s involvement follows his visit to Ghana earlier this year during his Speed Does Africa tour. His participation introduces the project to a large online audience, potentially bringing renewed attention to a history that remains underrepresented in mainstream global storytelling.
The documentary premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival and is scheduled for a one-night theatrical screening on October 28, 2026, at participating cinemas in the United States and Canada.
The project brings together established filmmakers, the Obamas’ production company and a creator known for his internet following to spotlight Ghana’s history and the importance of preserving African historical records.
For Hesse, the archive represents decades of work documenting a transformative period in African history. For a younger audience, the film offers an opportunity to encounter that history through footage captured by someone who witnessed it firsthand.
