A historic cinema under restoration.
Over a decade of advocacy, Save the Rex is an initiative to restore and reactivate the historic Rex Cinema in Accra, Ghana.
Preserving its legacy as one of West Africa’s early cinema houses, the project reimagines the space as a home for African and diasporic film.
Photo: E. H. Duckworth, Northwestern University Library
History
The Rex Cinema is located in the Makola district of Accra, Ghana. Established in 1937, it operated as a film, music, and entertainment venue, screening both Ghanaian and international films. Like many cinema houses, the Rex declined with the rise of television and digital media. Over time, it closed, but the building remains part of Accra’s cultural and architectural history.
The Film.
This work has also been explored through the short film Damn the Man, Save the Rex! (2026).
Archive
Documentation from the early Save the Rex campaign to restore Accra’s historic Rex Cinema.
11/22/13
News segment on efforts to preserve Ghana’s old cinema houses.
11/22/13
3/11/14
Televised interview outlining the vision to restore Accra’s Rex Cinema.
2/4/14
11/5/13
Article on the launch of the Save the Rex campaign and its cultural mission.
11/4/13
Essay on cinema and cultural infrastructure in Ghana.
International report on the challenges of restoring the Rex Cinema.
Profile highlighting the campaign’s international reach.
December 7, 2013
Exploring the creative vision behind reimagining the Rex Cinema.
December 8, 2013
Campaign diary capturing early public engagement.
November 10, 2013
Interview connecting the campaign to a broader renewal of Ghanaian cinema culture.
Support the preservation of Rex Cinema Accra
Rex Cinema Accra is a fiscally sponsored project of Anthology Film Archives in New York. Anthology Film Archives is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports the preservation of Rex Cinema Accra. Your contribution supports the continued restoration of this historic cinema in Ghana.
When donating, please note “Rex Cinema Accra”