American internet sensation IShowSpeed has joined former United States President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as a producer of the documentary ‘The Eyes of Ghana’ a film exploring Ghana’s history and the preservation of rare footage documenting Africa’s independence movement.
The announcement, made public of documentation marks a new venture for the popular livestreamer, as he ventures into documentary filmmaking.
The film is directed by two-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ben Proudfoot, with Barack and Michelle Obama serving as executive producers through their production company, Higher Ground.
The project is being brought to cinemas through a partnership involving Higher Ground and Breakwater Studios.
@revolt You can never guess Speed’s next move ?? “The Eyes of Ghana” is a documentary that follows Chris Hesse, a Ghanaian cinematographer who attempts to rescue more than 1,000 films documenting Africa’s fight for independence in the 1950s & 1960s ? The documentary is produced by IShowSpeed ? #theeyesofghana #ishowspeed #speed ♬ original sound – REVOLT
IShowSpeed said his visit to Ghana earlier this year deepened his connection to the country and inspired him to get involved in the project.
“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,” he said, expressing pride in helping introduce the story to his global audience.
He added that Hesse’s camera had captured the birth of African independence and that his determination to preserve the footage would allow future generations to witness the continent’s history.
At the centre of ‘The Eyes of Ghana’ is veteran Ghanaian cinematographer Chris Tsui Hesse, who served as the personal cameraman to Ghana’s first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
The documentary follows Hesse’s decades-long effort to safeguard more than 1,000 reels of historical film documenting Ghana’s political transformation and the wider African liberation struggle during the 1950s and 1960s.
Much of the footage was feared lost after the 1966 coup that toppled Nkrumah.
Hesse, however, preserved the archive, ensuring that images of a defining period in Ghanaian and African history survived.
Now in his 90s, Hesse is racing against time and deteriorating eyesight to restore the collection and make the material accessible to the public, working alongside younger filmmakers to protect the historical record.
The documentary has already attracted international attention, having premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival before screening at the BFI London Film Festival.
It is scheduled for a special one-night theatrical release across participating cinemas in the United States and Canada on October 28, 2026.
IShowSpeed’s involvement is expected to help introduce the documentary to younger audiences who may be unfamiliar with Ghana’s independence history and Hesse’s contribution to preserving it.