NAFTI honours Rev. Dr Chris Hesse

The National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) has honoured Reverend Dr Chris Tsui Hesse, Ghana’s first cinematographer,  for his contribution to the film industry.

He received citations at the NAFTI Film Lectures 2013-2014 Awards ceremony in Accra held in his honour.

The lectures explored his work as a cinematographer, film director and documentary photographer. They also focused on the role film and television had played in the economic and social development of the country.

Brief on Rev. Hesse

Dr Hesse was a personal photographer of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.He also helped to document the visual history of political leadership and development of the nation. Rev. Dr Hesse worked for the United Nations, serving as a war photographer, documenting the conflict in Congo. He also worked on the production of some of Ghana’s premier filmmakers such as Kwaw Ansah and King Ampaw.

Dr Hesse said cinematography was a great tool used to disseminate the cultural and historical values of the country and urged film-makers to use cinematography to project the values of the country.

He, therefore, commended the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts for its contribution to the film industry.

Development of film industry

The Rector of the institute, Professor Linus Abraham, said the lack of structures and policies to guide the development of the film industry was also a factor contributing to the inability of the film industry to operate in the market. 

Prof. Abraham added that there was the need to create a cinema of substance that would make serious inroads into the huge global market of film and television.

The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare, said the ministry had put in place structures and policies to promote the objectives of the film industry in the country.

According to her, the requsite infrastructure was being put up in Kumasi to facilitate the learning of the technical aspect of cinematography .