Reclaiming Cocoa. Premiere. Plus director Q&A

Watch trailer HERE an African Odysseys screening

"Reclaiming Cocoa" reveals the layers of the complex chocolate industry, taking viewers from the lush cocoa farms of Ghana to the posh chocolate stores in Switzerland – whose famous chocolate consists mostly of Ghanaian beans.

The film reveals the bitter truth behind the sweetness of every bar: we meet the Narteys, a multigenerational farming family whose children work the fields instead of going to school. As a Swiss chocolate giant boasts ethical practices, we go undercover to expose a system of exploitation and deception.

The story then turns to the past, tracing the surprising origins of Ghana's cocoa industry in the 19th century to Swiss missionaries.

Providing possible solutions, the film portrays five inspiring Ghanaian start-ups who are charting a new path forward. Jeanne Donkoh, founder of Bioko Treats, started producing chocolate on her kitchen table and is now selling high-end products. Nana Aduna II, the founder of Ohene Cocoa, uses his farm as a platform to educate tourists on the history of cocoa. Tutuwa Ahwoi, founder of Nokware Skincare, is turning cocoa butter into cosmetics, using her grandmother's wisdom and formulas. Koa, a Swiss-Ghanaian start-up, is finding value in what was once considered waste – the cocoa pulp. Lastly, the film highlights Yayra Glover, an organic cocoa pioneer who built an alternative livelihood system for his farmers.

These Ghanaian changemakers demonstrate that value addition can and should happen at home. "Reclaiming Cocoa" is a story of resilience, resistance, and hope. the film poses a powerful question: What if the real value of cocoa stayed in Ghana, to nourish the land and empower the people who grow it?

The film will be followed by a Q+A discussion with director Philippe Stalder and CEO of the Africa Centre, Olu Alake

This is an African Odysseys screening. Previously at the BFI Southbank for 17 years, African Odysseys is now hosting films across London due to systemic racism at the BFI which cancelled the popular,monthly programme there. There will be an update at the screening.Full details HERE

Other coming films

• 60 years of Struggle Black British Civil Rights, interview with Professor Gus John
• London Recruits, undercover anti-apartheid activists from Islington
• 17 years of walking ,the films of Toyin Agbetu
• African women resistance leaders: Political and Spiritual

Phoenix cinema is 2 minutes walk from Finchley central which is 10 stops from Kings Cross, Northern line. This is an African Odysseys screening.

Save 17 years of Black film history at the BFI, sign petition and add your voice to the 16,000 demanding race equality at the British Film Institute HERE