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| Rev. Dr. Chris Hesse at his library in his house |
It was not until 1954
that he joined the then West African Film School which was located at present
day TV3, Kanda in Accra. His choice of joining the camera department, to study,
panned out to be the best of decision he made.
Having graduated with
the knowledge in the handling of professional cameras, he saw the need to further
broaden his studies. That, in 1960, again saw him graduating from the Film and
Television school, Lodz, in Poland and also from the University of Sorbonne,
Paris, France was a post-graduate certificate in Film and TV Arts.
Meet one of Ghana’s
acclaimed photographer, cinematographer and filmmaker, Rev. Dr. Chris Hesse.
When I called him, on
phone, on February 2, 2017 to request to interview him for a feature
documentary, he answered warmly.
“Solomon, can we make
it next week Thursday?” said Dr. Chris Hesse,
When the time came and
I stood behind his gate as I sounded the doorbell, a very beautiful lady
ushered me into the house. Anita, the lady, directed me to Dr. Hesse. It was my
first time seeing him in person.
“You are the man with TV3,
right? He asked.
“Yes, Sir.” I replied.
Dr. Hesse then chipped
in.
“Solomon, can we have
our interview next week Wednesday?” he asked. This time, I nearly choked on a cup
of coffee he had served me. Why is he postponing our scheduled interview? I
asked myself.
“I wanted to see your
face, first. So, now that I have seen you, we can do proper interview the next
time we meet.”
I obliged. On my second
visit, I understood the ‘long process’ the man took me through. That could be
summed in two words; patience and professionalism.
Dr. Chris Hesse tells
me that the then filmmakers of Gold Coast Film Unit never rushed in producing
any of their movies. “Why would we rush? In everything you do in life you need
to be reasonably patient and, as a professional, you ensure professionalism. Yes…
yes,” he said.
If you have ever
watched renowned filmmaker Kwaw Ansah’s movie, African Heritage, you would better appreciate the knowledge and
patience of our old folks. Dr. Chris Hesse tells me the Character, Mr.
Bosomfield, in the said movie had to spend months in Britain ‘just’ to learn the
colonial masters’ mannerisms among others. This gave a great spice to the
movie.
Dr. Chris Hesse shoots
his middle finger and rhythmically smashes it on the small round table around
which we sat. He expresses frustration over happenings in our current movie
industry.
“Now what do you see? They
take the camera and within one week they have shot three to four movies? We are
jokers.’
The man who, on 6th
March, 1957, stood behind camera two in filming the Independence Day ceremony
says the Gold Coast Film Unit took upon itself to train some local folks. The folks
including Bob Cole had expressed interest in acting. That training given the
local folks saw the birth of the popular movie, I Told You So.
He believes same could
be done for the industry today, especially with the Kumawood. On what could be
called the Accrawood, nothing throws Dr. Hesse off than the overdose of make-up
the actresses wear.
Dr. Chris Hesse believes
the love for money is proportionately contributing to the fallen standard of
our movie industry. ‘It’s not the question of this is what the public will like
to see. It’s a question of telling the public this and that are the good movies
you have to see.
“Film making is not the
question of money. Immediately something comes on the screen, you are educating
the one watching. You are communicating something.”
Dr. Chris Hesse says
churning out something good to educate the masses was the strategy of America
as it told the world through its movies, indirectly, that no nation comes next
to her. “While America showed it could conquer every nation in its movies, we
are here copying Nigerians where you see ghosts appearing and vanishing in
movies.”
He is urging government
to put in the effort and commitment Dr. Kwame Nkrumah exhibited towards the
arts industry while he steered affairs of the nation.
“Nkrumah went to
Parliament and had a Legislative Instrument and bought all the cinemas in the
country … from Accra, Swedru and Kumasi. Everywhere,” he says.
This LI brought about
the Ghana Film Corporation where movies were produced and marketed [shown at
cinemas].
The man I had the
opportunity to interview has a rich achievement to boast off. He has been the
director of photography for most early-day movies including Love Brewed
in the African Pot (1980), His Majesty’s Sergeant (1984) and Heritage Africa (1989), a
war cameraman who shot the Congo’s 1960 turbulence, a cinematographer of Dr.
Kwame Nkrumah, General J. A. Ankrah, General A.A. Afrifa, Prime Minister
Dr. K. A. Busia through to former President J. J. Rawlings.
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| I 'toured' Dr. Chris Hesse's library |
This
is certainly a man we must listen to when he beckons on us to do the right
thing. When after my interview with him, he took me to his library. I was
virtually submerged in a sea of photographs pasted on the walls of the library.
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| An award he received |
Among
these pictures was an award he received from the maiden edition of the Ghana
Movie Awards in 1999. Also, on the wall was a letter, framed, from the 37th
President of America, Richard Nixon addressing Dr. Hesse to film his wife, Thelma
Catherine Nixon, on her official visit to Ghana in 1971.
Are
we not fortunate to have a living legend and critic of our works to help us
shine bright like the diamond?
The
writer is a broadcast journalist with 3FM 92.7. Views expressed here solely
remain his opinion and does not reflect that of his organisation.
Email:
nehusthan4@yahoo.com
Twitter:
@Aniwaba
