Meet Chris Tsui Hesse, the personal cameraman to Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, whose remarkable collection of historical footage offers a rare visual account of Ghana’s past.
Following the overthrow of Nkrumah in a military coup d’état in 1966, Hesse managed to preserve more than 1,300 rolls of film from individuals who sought to destroy the historical records.
Now 94, Hesse is determined to ensure that this important part of Ghana’s history is not lost. He has passed the collection on to a protégé, and together they are working to recover the footage and organise a public screening of scenes that have never been shown to audiences before.
The collection captures significant moments in Ghana’s history, including Dr Nkrumah’s activities and some of the major development projects undertaken during his presidency. These include the construction of the Akosombo Dam, the Tema Motorway, factories and other infrastructure projects established under his administration.
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Speaking in an interview with TitbitsAfrica, Hesse expressed excitement and satisfaction at having successfully preserved the historical footage.
He disclosed that efforts are still underway to retrieve and digitise the images from the film rolls, expressing optimism that the process will be completed by the middle of next year.
“We are continuing. We are still capturing the films from the rolls, and things are looking positive. I am positive that by the middle of next year, everything will be completed,” he said.
For Hesse, preserving these films goes beyond saving old footage. It is about safeguarding a significant chapter of Ghana’s history and making it accessible to future generations.
There is also renewed hope that more than 1,300 rolls of film will be repatriated to Ghana by the middle of next year, allowing Ghanaians to reconnect with previously unseen images of their country's political, cultural and developmental history.
