Bobi Wine: The People's President

Bobi Wine is well worth a watch for anyone, but particularly for people who are thinking about what guardrails prevent their own governments from winding up in the same situation.

The Oscar-nominated documentary shows the violence of Uganda's 35-year political regime, but, more importantly, it tells the story of the politician who's come closest to ending it.

It’s a gripping piece of film-making: a propulsive, kinetic account of a grassroots campaign captured at what would seem to be considerable personal risk to both the subject and directors.

... The film too can remind you of last year’s Navalny: another fine, tragic study of a dissident, a despot, and a dream brutally deferred.

Wine is a man with intoxicating charisma, and a cracking backstory.

The documentary’s resulting mix of intimate portrait and raw street warfare proves visceral, dynamic and sometimes upsetting.

What struck me is how little I know about international dictatorships. The lessons of Uganda are the lessons our country needs, but the main focus is on the courage of Bobi … it’s as if Dr. King was also a famous singer. People power can save us all!

The closeness, viscerality, urgency, and power of the documentary allow us to understand first-hand the degree of corruption and deep disintegration of the Ugandan political system. [Full review in Spanish]

This illuminating documentary is more than just an intimate look at singer Bobi Wine's political activism, including his campaign to be elected president of Uganda in 2021. It's also about a fight for democracy and resistance to political oppression.

Being able to portray this situation almost from the heart of the conflict, seeing how Wine and other politicians are reduced in plain sight, has evident value.