Damn the Man, Save the Rex! (2026) follows filmmaker Akosua Adoma Owusu’s ongoing effort to revive Accra’s Rex Cinema, one of Ghana’s oldest cinema houses. Built in 1937, the Rex once embodied Kwame Nkrumah’s vision of cinema as a cultural tool for independence and cultural renewal, but it has since fallen into disrepair. The film reflects on this history while reimagining the Rex as a living hub for film, art, and community.
Excerpt from
Damn the Man, Save the Rex! (2026)
Director Statement
Damn the Man, Save the Rex! (2026) is a personal reflection on my long-standing effort to revive the Rex Cinema in Accra, Ghana. The film draws on Empire Records, connecting its spirit of rebellion to a Ghanaian struggle to sustain a historic cinema.
Moving between past and present, it honors the Rex as a site of Ghana’s cinematic heritage while imagining its future as a living gathering place. It asks what it means to protect not only a building, but the shared experience of seeing ourselves onscreen.
As a Ghanaian-American filmmaker working between continents, I return to questions of memory, cinema, and the spaces where films are experienced. This film continues that work.
Screenings
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Athens International Film & Video Festival
Damn the Man, Save the Rex! (2026) will have its world premiere at the Athens International Film & Video Festival.
April 13, Athena Cinema, Ohio
Program: Made by Hand
Merch
An everyday tote featuring the original Save the Rex logo designed by Hanson Akatti for the 2013 campaign to restore Accra’s Rex Cinema. Lightweight, durable, and made for daily use.
15” W x 16” H
Non-woven polypropylene
Water-resistant
24” handles
A soft, everyday t-shirt featuring the original Save the Rex logo designed by Hanson Akatti for the 2013 campaign to restore Accra’s Rex Cinema. Soft, lightweight, and breathable for everyday wear.
100% combed ringspun cotton
4.2 oz. lightweight fabric
Unisex fit (XS–4XL)
Semi-fitted
Side-seamed construction
Care: Machine wash cold. Do not bleach. Tumble dry low
A printed poster featuring the original Save the Rex design by Hanson Akatti, created for the 2013 campaign to restore Accra’s historic Rex Cinema. Part of the early campaign materials, the poster reflects the visual identity of the project.
18” × 24”
Printed on archival-quality paper