- Streaming star IShowSpeed joined the Obamas as a producer on 'The Eyes of Ghana', a documentary about a 93-year-old Ghanaian cinematographer who preserved over 1,000 film reels
- Speed, who holds Ghanaian citizenship, announced his involvement during an October 15 livestream, calling the project a great honour
- The documentary premieres in US and UK cinemas on October 28, 2026, with screenings in Ghana expected to follow
Few people saw this one coming. IShowSpeed, the 21-year-old streaming phenomenon known for wild livestreams and backflips at the Nairobi National Park, has quietly landed his first-ever film credit as a producer on a documentary backed by Barack and Michelle Obama.
Source: Facebook
The film is 'The Eyes of Ghana,' a 90-minute documentary directed by two-time Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot and produced by Breakwater Studios alongside the Obamas' production company, Higher Ground Productions.
At its centre is Rev. Dr. Chris Tsui Hesse, a 93-year-old Ghanaian cinematographer who served as the personal cameraman to Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first president.
When Nkrumah's government fell in a 1966 military coup, authorities moved to erase the country's visual record.
Hesse secretly preserved more than 1,000 reels of film documenting Ghana's 1957 independence and Africa's broader liberation movement.
The documentary follows him and Ghanaian filmmaker Anita Afonu as they race to restore and publicly screen that archive in Accra for the very first time.
The film already premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025, won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the Hamptons International Film Festival, and currently holds a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
How Speed got involved
Speed, whose real name is Darren Jason Watkins Jr., is listed as Producer for the theatrical release. Barack and Michelle Obama serve as Executive Producers. He broke the news himself during a livestream on 15 October 2026.
"I went to Ghana this year, and it felt like HOME. When I heard about this film, 'The Eyes of Ghana', I reached out to see how I could help out, and they brought me on as a producer.
Your boy IShowSpeed is a producer of 'The Eyes of Ghana'. This film also has executive producers Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. It's a great film," he said.
In a formal statement, he added:
"It is a great honor to be part of The Eyes of Ghana and help bring this extraordinary piece of history to the big screen. His camera captured the birth of African independence, and his determination to preserve those images has ensured that future generations can witness it for themselves. I'm humbled by his legacy and proud to help bring his story to my community."
Why Speed made sense for this project
The connection goes deeper than celebrity appeal. Speed holds Ghanaian citizenship, granted earlier this year after his "Speed Does Africa" tour, during which he livestreamed across 20 African countries in 28 days. In Accra, he visited the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and recreated the late president's iconic pose, the very leader Hesse spent years filming.
Higher Ground brought him on specifically to bridge generations. With over 60 million young viewers, Speed gives the film access to an audience that would otherwise never encounter an archival documentary. For the Obamas, he is the marketing plan.
"The Eyes of Ghana" screens for one night only on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, at AMC, Regal, and Cinemark chains across the United States and Canada, as well as independent theatres. Screening dates for Ghana and the UK are expected to be announced shortly.
Source: TUKO.co.ke