Sean Graham

Hans Friedrich Hermann Isay (26 June 1920 – 5 October 2015), popularly known by his stage name Sean Graham, was a German-born Ghanaian filmmaker and former British Army officer. In cinema, he is best known for directing the critics acclaimed Ghana films The Boy Kumasenu, Jaguar and Two Weeks in September.

Personal life Graham was born on 26 June 1920 in Berlin, Germany, and fled with his family to Britain in 1933. He studied law at Peterhouse, Cambridge, and the start of the Second World War, he changed his name to "Sean Graham" for safety. He went on to serve and an interpreter with British army intelligence, gradually attaining the rank of lieutenant-colonel. After a brief period in Tunisia, he returned to London to continue his work in Fil. He later lived and worked in Turkey making films for some years before finally returning to London.

In 2015, Government of Ghana conferred a State honor on Graham due to his pioneering work on Ghanaian cinema.

He was also the author of three novels: A Surfeit of Sun (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1964) and Hippo's Coup (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1968), both set in Africa; and The French Odalisque based on the life of Aimée du Buc de Rivéry (Orbach & Chambers, 2009).

Filmography

Year Film Role Genre Ref. 1952 The Boy Kumasenu Director, writer, Producer Film 1956 Mr. Mensah Builds a House Director Short film 1957 Jaguar Director, writer Short film 1957 Freedom for Ghana Director, producer Documentary 1963 The European Economic Community Director, writer Documentary short 1967 Two Weeks in September Writer Film 1974 The Zoo Gang Actor TV series