The restored Ghanaian war classic, His Majesty’s Sergeant, has been screened in London as part of activities marking the birthday of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and celebrating 103 years of Ghanaian cinema.
The screening, held at Genesis Cinema in Bethnal Green on Saturday, September 19, brought together filmmakers, diplomats, film enthusiasts and members of the Ghanaian community in the UK.
The event, organised by Flamboyant Damsel Films (GH) and UK-based Grace Abounds LTD, also offered audiences an opportunity to hear from legendary Ghanaian cinematographer Rev. Dr Chris Tsui Hesse, 94, who served as Director of Photography on the 1984 film.
One of the highlights of the post-screening discussion was Rev. Hesse’s revelation that the cave scenes, which appeared to have been shot in Burma, were actually created inside a studio in Ghana.
“All the cave scenes were ingeniously shot inside a studio in Ghana. The cave was not a real cave. We built it in the studio,” he said.
He explained that the filmmakers used limited resources and creativity to recreate the caves and wartime atmosphere, while the battle scenes were shot at Shai Hills in the Eastern Region.
Professional actors from India and Britain were brought in for the production, while some staff of the British High Commission in Ghana also played minor roles.
As a classic directed by the late Ato Kwamina Yanney Snr, His Majesty’s Sergeant tells the story of three soldiers - a Gold Coast Sergeant, a British private and an Indian Corporal, who become separated from their regiments during World War II in Burma and unite to defend themselves against Japanese forces.
The film, which stars Tommy Ebow Ansah, Tony Trent and Surrinder Singh Ghuman, also features the late Ghanaian actor George Williams.
It was lost for more than 25 years before being restored by Ato Yanney Jnr, son of the late director.
At the event, Ato Yanney Jnr said the film remained relevant beyond its action sequences, particularly for its themes of racial conflict, equality, independence and freedom.
Rev. Hesse, who also worked as a cinematographer for Dr Nkrumah in the 1960s, shot the film on 35mm PANAVISION.
Ghana’s Deputy High Commissioner to the UK, Acquinas Tawiah Quansah, commended the restoration and encouraged Ghanaian filmmakers to take advantage of available funding opportunities to support film production and distribution.
The event also featured a live performance by Dutch-born Ghanaian Afrobeats artiste FADU.
The organisers said the film would subsequently be screened in other parts of the UK, Russia, the United States and the Schengen area, with the next UK screening scheduled for December.
The event was supported by the National Film Authority, IPMC Ghana, Gatlink Studios and Rainbow Radio International, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Ghana Academy of Film and Television Arts, and the National Commission on Culture.
