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Doc Stories

The Eyes of Ghana + In My Day

Directed by Ben Proudfoot

USA | Documentary | 90

8 Nov
Sat, Nov 8 at 11:00 am PT

Guests Expected

Director of The Eyes of Ghana, Ben Proudfoot will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A.

Description

Two-time Academy Award-winner Ben Proudfoot returns to Doc Stories with his feature debut, which tells the enchanting story of Ghanaian documentarian Chris Hesse. At 93 years old, Chris reflects back on the early days of his career as a personal cinematographer for former Ghanaian president and revolutionary Kwame Nkrumah. Hesse’s proximity to Nkrumah allowed him to serve as keen witness and documentarian of what became the genesis of the African independence movement of the 1950s and ’60s, a watershed period in African history that resisted colonial rule. With his memories and vision fading, Hesse teams up with a new generation of African filmmakers to repatriate a treasure trove of films thought to have been destroyed in the coup that put an end to Nkrumah’s reign. Produced by Barack and Michelle Obama and Moses Bwayo (Bobi Wine: The People’s President 2022) this inspirational journey to reclaim lost histories and cultural memories gives hope for future generations. – Jordan Klein

Doc Stories 2025: In My Day
In My Day (2025) – Directed by Iga Lis

 
This film will be preceded by the short film In My Day, directed by Iga Lis (Poland, 12 min).
Captured in the quotidian poetry of the phone call, conversations between grandmothers and granddaughters shed light on intergenerational inheritance and evolution.

Director Ben Proudfoot

Ben Proudfoot is the filmmaking visionary and creative force behind Breakwater Studios, an LA-based company that has produced an illustrious array of award winning films that highlight unsung heroes throughout American history and beyond. He is a two-time Academy Award winner with The Queen of Basketball (2021) and The Last Repair Shop (2023). Through Breakwater, Ben proudly leads 23 full-time filmmaking staff to produce documentary shorts and nurture partnerships with the likes of The New York Times, Barack and Michelle Obama, Lewis Hamiliton, Naomi Osaka, and many more.

Director Iga Lis

Iga Lis is a Polish film director and a History graduate of the London School of Economics. Her feature documentary debut The Queen and the Smokehouse (2025) premiered as the opening film of the Krakow Film Festival before its nationwide theatrical release.

Trailer

Film Details

LanguageEnglish, Twi, Ga

Year2025

Runtime90

CountryUSA

DirectorBen Proudfoot

ProducerNana Adwoa Frimpong, Ben Proudfoot, Moses Bwayo, Anita Afonu, Brandon Somerhalder, Ethan Lewis, Vinnie Malhotra

Executive ProducerBarack Obama, Michelle Obama, John Akomfrah, Dan & Lian Gill, Max Johnson, Jonathan E. Lim, Michael Risley, Josh Rosenberg, David Treatman, Esther Wojcicki

EditorMónica Salazar

CinematographerBrandon Somerhalder

MusicKris Bowers

Closed CaptionsClosed Captions aren’t confirmed for this film

Audio DescriptionAudio Descriptions aren’t currently confirmed for this film

American Sign Language (ASL) InterpretationAmerican Sign Language Interpretation isn’t currently scheduled for this film