Writer Photos Darrell J Banks

The  Eyes of Ghana

By. Darrell J Banks

CR 2025

All rights  Reserved Worldwide

This first film   ensured I would  attend TIFF 2025 was the Eyes of Ghana, I had it in my basket several times.  The price fluctuated, hundreds then back to  a reasonable price.   

After several hours on the road,  checked in to the hotel and drove down for  the premiere.

The Obamas, including Sasha were not there.  The film itself or was it merely a melo documentary was about a six out of ten.  It could have been edited down about forty-five minutes.  But movies are always a gambit, does one really know what should be left in or out unless one is an expert twenty film in editor.

After the movie they gave us a film strip from the film. 

Black films whether they be fiction or nonfiction are always  a hard sale even in America. Think about that, what top ten young black actresses, besides Kiki Palmer ( McDonalds, Podcast, TV shows and movies) can  you name?

Act 1 is a blur I was tired after my drive and encounter with an English producer at the hotel.  The hostility of humans is always amazing, even when on vacation.    The seats were mid-way above the producers and some of the cast.  See the pictures below. 

By Act 2 I understood that the cinematographer in question, had been appointed by the president of Ghana.  Who was loved and then really hated, which is always the human way.   First, they love you and make you a star and then smile as you descend into an off-brand studio.

Some stars, like Madonna, and Charlize have, enough bread, and cheddar to keep going. Jimmy Kimmel on the other hand had to go back to work.   Fifty million dollars does not stretch very far on  California prices.

He  claimed he went back for the workers, but the following week he did a week in Brooklyn.   You see kids, Boston, NYC where the American Banks determine a lot of what is funded. The other night I watched a 2008 film with Robert De Niro, one of Jimmy K’s first late night show returnable guests.  That  film is based on a book,  What Just  Happened.   DeNiro has one of his famous lines, we got the money, we just have to get it back. All films are about ab out money and you are either in or out the game.  With Jimmy K, Disney decided they were losing too much money.   As did the other TV conglomerates who shortly caved in. 

Which is the dilemma, of the Obama’s first production.   As of October 4, 2025, has yet to pick up a film distribution or streaming deal. 

Perhaps as I suggested to my ride along if they edit it down 30 to 35 minutes it will find it’s home at Netflix.   Studios, like to pick up streamers after. Someone has paid the initial costs, they swap them out each month, as if they were foster kids.  Such is the state of film in the age of AI. 

Ciao