About the event
Ghana’s film heritage has suffered immense losses due to colonial legacies, post-independence neglect, and institutional challenges. Many of the country’s audiovisual records, including historical films and documentaries, remain housed in archives across Europe and the United States, inaccessible to the people whose stories they tell.
This talk explores the history of Ghana’s lost film heritage, the ongoing efforts to retrieve and repatriate audiovisual materials, and the importance of restitution in reclaiming national identity. By unpacking the biases embedded in colonial-era films and reinterpreting them through a Ghanaian historical lens, this presentation will discuss strategies for archival recovery and sustainable preservation.
The seminar builds on insights from the documentary Perished Diamonds, setting the stage for a discussion on memory, ownership, and cultural sovereignty in film heritage.
About the speaker
Judith Opoku-Boateng is a Senior Archivist and researcher specialising in audiovisual heritage and cultural preservation. Based at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Judith has been actively involved in oral history projects, audiovisual preservation, and the development of strategies for making cultural archives more engaging and accessible to scholars, students, the creative industry, and the general public.
She has held positions in international organizations such as the International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA) and has been involved in global initiatives including the AV Think Tank (a Netherlands Sound and Vision Initiative), the GAVA Advisory Board, and the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme.
Beyond these engagements, Judith has played a key role in efforts to document and recover Ghana’s lost film and sound archives. Her research spans oral history, ethnographic documentation, and archival restitution, with a focus on reclaiming Ghana’s audiovisual history from Western institutions.
She is currently a Visiting Research Fellow at the Edinburgh Futures Institute, where she is exploring archival workflows and preservation strategies in the UK. Her work contributes to the broader movement advocating for the repatriation and accessibility of African audiovisual materials, ensuring they are preserved for current and future generations.
How to attend
This event is open to all, and free to attend. You can reserve your spot on Eventbrite.
