The 2026 World Day for Audiovisual Heritage has been commemorated at the University of Media, Arts and Communication’s Institute of Film and Television (UniMAC-IFT) in Accra, with filmmakers, archivists, academics, cultural practitioners and other stakeholders highlighting the importance of safeguarding audiovisual materials as essential records of national identity and collective memory.
The event, held on Friday, October 30, was organised by the Faculty of Digital Media and Design in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), under the theme, “Your Window to the World”.
It brought together representatives of government institutions, students and other stakeholders to reflect on the importance of preserving Ghana’s audiovisual heritage and ensuring that historical records remain accessible to present and future generations.
In her welcome address, the Dean of the Faculty of Digital Media and Design, Dr Rebecca Ohene-Asah, disclosed that the government, through the 24-Hour Economy Authority’s 24-hour-plus programme, had committed funding towards the digitisation of Ghana’s historical film materials preserved in the United Kingdom.
She explained that the initiative was already underway and would enable the recovery and digitisation of historical materials, many of which had remained inaccessible because they were stored on obsolete analogue formats.
Dr Ohene-Asah described the development as an important step towards making Ghana’s audiovisual heritage accessible to the public, researchers, students and future generations.
She, however, cautioned that the country must not overlook the extensive archival materials held within its own institutions.
She disclosed that UniMAC itself had a substantial collection of audiovisual materials, particularly student productions dating as far back as 1978, when the institute was established.
Many of these materials, she said, remained inaccessible because of the technical and financial difficulties associated with retrieving and preserving them.
She noted that rapid technological advancement, including artificial intelligence, presented new opportunities for restoring and digitising archival materials, but the university remained constrained by the substantial financial resources required.
She therefore called for stronger partnerships and investment to establish the university as a leading institution for audiovisual heritage preservation in Ghana.
The Head of UNESCO’s Accra Office, Mr Edmond Moukala, also underscored the importance of protecting audiovisual materials, describing them as strategic assets of collective consciousness rather than simply old recordings stored in archives.
He commended Hesse for safeguarding Ghana’s historical film collection and encouraged the inscription of his materials on UNESCO’s national Memory of the World register.
He further disclosed that UNESCO, through a Japan Fund-in-Trust project titled “Advancing the Preservation and Accessibility of African Documentary Heritage at Risk”, was supporting efforts to strengthen preservation capacity, improve institutional frameworks and raise awareness of the importance of documentary heritage.
Moukala also revealed that the university librarian had participated in UNESCO training on documentary heritage preservation and digitisation and was compiling an inventory of vulnerable materials held within the institution for possible inclusion in the national risk register.
He urged students and university authorities to pay greater attention to old reels, tapes and cassettes, stressing that such materials were historical evidence rather than obsolete clutter.
Representing the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mr Divine Kwame Owusu-Ansah, Director for Culture and Creative Arts at the Ministry, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening the creative economy and supporting the preservation and development of Ghana’s audiovisual industry.
The address emphasised the contributions of pioneers who built the country’s film and television industry under difficult circumstances and called for their achievements to be documented and protected.
It further highlighted the need to strengthen the entire audiovisual value chain, from content development and production to distribution, exhibition, marketing and preservation.
In a separate address read on behalf of GAFTA President, Dr Jim Fara Awindor, the academy’s PRO, Mr George Bossompim, called for a coordinated national effort to identify, assess, preserve and digitise Ghana’s remaining audiovisual collections.
He cautioned that digitisation alone was not enough, arguing that digital files also required sustainable storage systems, regular backups, proper documentation and long-term institutional commitment.
He also drew attention to the disappearance of valuable audiovisual equipment and materials, including U-Matic tapes and an animation rostrum at NAFTI, as well as the burning of celluloid film reels following the divestiture of GFIC.
A major highlight of the commemoration was an engagement with Reverend Dr Chris Hesse, former personal cinematographer to Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who recounted how he spent nearly three decades fighting to preserve approximately 3,000 cans of historical film materials, including recordings of presidential speeches, state visits, diplomatic engagements and significant moments in Ghana’s history.
His account offered a rare insight into the country’s film preservation history and exposed the difficult and often overlooked circumstances surrounding the survival of Ghana’s historical film archives, including how financial constraints, political decisions and the disposal of vital film industry infrastructure nearly deprived future generations of access to irreplaceable records.
Ghana’s struggle to preserve its audiovisual heritage has been marked by political upheavals, institutional neglect, financial difficulties and the near destruction of invaluable historical records. Behind the survival of thousands of film reels documenting the country’s political, cultural and social evolution is the determination of individuals who worked to prevent an important part of the nation’s history from disappearing.
One of the most striking revelations concerned the circumstances under which some of the country’s original film materials survived a period of political uncertainty following the overthrow of Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
According to Hesse, the preservation of the materials was not accidental. During the period, an arrangement existed for film materials to be sent to London for processing and storage, a decision that would eventually prove critical to their survival.
He recalled that following the political upheaval, an order was issued by the National Liberation Council (NLC) for materials associated with the previous administration, including photographs and books, to be destroyed.
Hesse explained that while some materials were burnt, the original film materials preserved in London were not among those destroyed. Some of the materials burnt were Indian films and news items, while copies of important historical recordings remained outside Ghana.
The distinction, he suggested, was significant because the survival of the original materials meant that Ghana’s historical records were not entirely lost during a period when their continued existence could not be guaranteed.
However, keeping the archives in London presented another formidable challenge: rent.
Hesse disclosed that the film industry had the responsibility of paying for the storage of the materials, but the financial difficulties surrounding the industry made it increasingly difficult to sustain the arrangement.
He explained that the collection, comprising approximately 3,000 cans of film, faced the risk of being displaced after payments fell into arrears for nearly three years.
At one point, he was informed that the materials had been packed and moved from their storage location, compelling him to travel to London to intervene and find a solution.
His efforts eventually led him to search for another laboratory capable of handling and preserving the extensive collection.
He recounted how several facilities were reluctant to accept the materials because of their volume, until a laboratory at Home Slough, near the airport in London, agreed to undertake the work.
The laboratory subsequently undertook restoration work on the films, repairing the materials frame by frame to make them suitable for preservation and viewing.
Hesse’s account also highlighted the personal sacrifices and support that sustained the preservation project over the years. He recalled that, at one point, the 31st December Women’s Movement, led by former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, took responsibility for paying the rent of the premises where the historic film cans were preserved in London. The movement’s financial support helped sustain the storage arrangement and protect the collection at a time when maintaining the archives presented considerable financial challenges.
His response was that the films did not belong to him personally but to Ghana.
“They belong to Mother Ghana,” he maintained, explaining that his determination was driven by the conviction that the materials constituted public heritage that future generations deserved to inherit.
The discussion also revisited the divestiture of the Ghana Film Industry Corporation (GFIC) and the subsequent transfer of aspects of the country’s film production infrastructure to Malaysian interests.
Hesse expressed concern over the destruction of valuable equipment, including the laboratory facilities and other film processing infrastructure, which he said were essential to the country’s capacity to produce and preserve films.
He made an important distinction between the production and exhibition components of the corporation, explaining that the production wing was what was sold, while the cinemas and other properties had separate ownership considerations.
The loss of the laboratory and associated equipment, however, represented a significant setback for Ghana’s film industry, particularly its ability to process and preserve original film materials.
For students and young filmmakers in attendance, the discussion was a sobering reminder that the survival of a country’s film heritage depends not only on the people who create it but also on the institutions, infrastructure and policies established to protect it.
Hesse also offered insights into his working relationship with Dr Nkrumah, particularly the creative and storytelling considerations behind documenting the former president’s activities.
Responding to questions about the techniques employed in filming Nkrumah’s international travels and political engagements, he explained that documenting historical events required more than simply pointing a camera at important personalities.
It involved understanding the significance of the event, identifying the moments that mattered and constructing a compelling narrative that would help audiences appreciate why the journey or engagement was historically important.
He explained that before trips, he would discuss the important aspects of the events with Nkrumah and identify the moments that needed to be captured.
The intention was to ensure that audiences watching the resulting films could understand the significance of the president’s travels and appreciate the reasons behind them.
“It is a question of building a story,” was the central message of his explanation.
Rev. Hesse also recalled a remark by Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who once told him: “My son, keep filming, and the film will tell the truth.” The statement reflected the enduring value of film as a record of history and a means of preserving the truth for future generations.
He further disclosed that he personally wrote the commentaries for the films. However, the individuals engaged to voice the narrations were allowed to make slight adjustments to the wording to ensure that the language flowed naturally and was comfortable for them to deliver, without altering the intended meaning.
The revelation underscored the creative responsibilities that accompanied his work as a cinematographer, demonstrating that his contribution extended beyond capturing images to interpreting historical events and shaping how they would be understood by audiences.
Hesse also recalled Nkrumah’s appreciation of cinema as a powerful instrument of communication, education and national development.
He explained that Nkrumah had come to appreciate the power of cinema and understood its potential to influence public consciousness and communicate important national and continental ideas.
Reflecting on the former president’s vision, Hesse also referenced the famous call for African unity, “Africa must unite”, a principle that informed Nkrumah’s wider political and continental ambitions.
The conversation further explored the history of Ghana’s film industry, including the establishment and development of the West African film training institutions, the Ghana Film Unit, the Ghana Film Industry Corporation and the country’s cinema exhibition network.
He also recalled the experiences of Sean Graham, who filmed materials about Africa and Ghana during the colonial period, but whose activities were subsequently restricted.
These historical accounts offered participants an understanding of how film was recognised as an important instrument for documenting society and communicating political ideas, long before the emergence of today’s digital media landscape.
The importance of preserving Hesse’s personal experiences was reinforced during the question-and-answer session, when a faculty member from the Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, Dr Andrew-Square, appealed for UniMAC and UNESCO to collaborate on a structured oral history project to document the veteran filmmaker’s experiences.
He argued that Hesse’s proximity to Ghana’s political history, particularly his interactions with successive presidents and his work documenting the country’s development, represented an invaluable historical resource that should be systematically recorded before it becomes inaccessible.
He urged the university to consider a phased documentation project that would capture Hesse’s experiences, insights and historical accounts for research, education and future generations.
The call highlighted an important dimension of audiovisual preservation: safeguarding historical films must go hand in hand with documenting the memories and experiences of the people who created them.
Another significant concern raised during the engagement was the future of Rex Cinema, which Hesse identified as part of the country’s historic cinema infrastructure.
A student of the Institute of Film and Television, Emelia Attamudzi, appealed to industry stakeholders, lecturers and university authorities to support efforts to preserve the facility and make it accessible to emerging filmmakers.
She argued that the cinema could provide an important exhibition platform for young creatives who often struggle to afford established venues for screening their productions.
Her appeal, which drew attention to the high cost of accessing facilities such as the National Theatre, raised broader questions about the preservation and utilisation of public film infrastructure.
Hesse, in his response, maintained that several cinema properties acquired under the former film corporation were government properties and expressed concern about their current conditions and the failure to protect some of them.
Mr Bossompim also touched on efforts by GAFTA to secure support for the rehabilitation of Rex Cinema, indicating that the association had previously pursued a grant for the project. However, the effort did not translate into the desired intervention.
The discussion ultimately reinforced the need for government and relevant institutions to look beyond recovering historical films and pay attention to the preservation of the physical infrastructure required to sustain the film industry.
The programme featured a screening of a digitised archival film preserved through Hesse’s efforts, giving students, dignitaries and other participants an opportunity to encounter historical footage that might otherwise have remained inaccessible.
The screening provided a practical demonstration of the educational and historical value of preserving moving images, allowing audiences to engage directly with a visual record of Ghana’s past.
The event also featured a poetry recital by Makida El Husseini, who reflected on the importance of preserving Ghana’s audiovisual heritage through spoken word. This was complemented by a cultural performance by renowned Ghanaian flautist, singer, songwriter and music director, Dela Yaw Botri, popularly known as “The Flute Magician”, who entertained participants with traditional songs and intermittent flute performances, adding a musical and cultural dimension to the commemoration.
Ultimately, the conversations at UniMAC-IFT revealed that Ghana’s audiovisual heritage faces two interconnected responsibilities: recovering what has survived and protecting what remains.
Hesse’s decades-long struggle demonstrates how much of the country’s historical memory has depended on individual commitment, sometimes in the absence of adequate institutional support.
Hence the responsibility cannot rest on one individual indefinitely.
As government advances its digitisation efforts, the country must also invest in archival infrastructure, professional training, accessible preservation facilities and policies that prevent the destruction of historically significant materials.
The question is no longer simply whether Ghana has a rich film history. It is whether the country is prepared to protect, reclaim and make that history accessible to the generations that will come after it.
