Ugandan pop star-turned-opposition leader Bobi Wine is at the heart of a documentary that charts his electoral challenge to long-time ruler Yoweri Museveni. The film was nominated for an Oscar.
Bobi Wine: The People's President, directed by Christopher Sharp and Moses Bwayo, puts the focus on Bobi, his supporters and his wife Barbara "Barbie" Itungo Kyagulanyi, an author, philanthropist and human rights activist.
Praised at festivals all over the world, it is now in American cinemas, and Wine hopes the Oscar nomination will help it reach a bigger audience.
This film tells the story of Wine, who rose to fame in his country, Uganda, as a musician, and whose popularity led him to enter a career in politics.
He first became a Member of Parliament, then in 2021 he ran as a presidential candidate, facing Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power in Uganda since 1996.
The film captures Wine and his supporters during an election campaign that ended in prison.
"An election we strongly believe we won, although eventually, I was put under house arrest," told RFI's Christina Okello.
"My entire team was arrested, and many of them are still in prison."
"We are very honored that our story, the Ugandan story, the story of the people of Uganda fighting for democracy has finally gotten the attention that we have been yearning for," he says.
BOBI WINE: THE PEOPLE’S PRESIDENT, in US theaters today, Friday, July 28th. Trailer. pic.twitter.com/5e8C8MMeuf
— Akoroko — African Cinema Now! (@akorokoafrica) July 28, 2023
Democracy at stake
Bobi Wine really hopes that the world is going to be more attentive.
"Democracy dies in the dark," he said, "it dies when its defenders either don't see it dying, or don't do anything to save it from dying."
The team had to select images from some 4000 hours of footage.
So much footage was not used in the film," Wine says, "and so many things that I think could have been present."
Scenes of blatant election rigging by the police and military for instance were rejected in the end because the production team didn't want to put off potential viewers.
"Some of my best friends were killed on camera, run over by military trucks on camera," Wine told RFI. "In the end, I believe that their decision was the best."
Uganda team, wild dream
The film was produced and directed by a Ugandan team, which was important for Wine.
The co-director, Moses Bwayo, is Ugandan, though he had to leave the country after making this film, and now lives in exile in America.
The other co-director and producer, Christopher Sharpe, lives in Britain but was also born in Uganda.
Bobi's wife, Barbie uses references to her early childhood experiences, to educate people about the reality of Museveni's regime. They form part of her 2012 book, Golden Memories of a Village Belle, and now this documentary.
The whole team admits that the Oscar nomination was much more than they ever expected.
Wine says that, even if he was "thrilled" and "humbled" to receive a nomination, he honestly didn't think he was "deserving of such a recognition.
"I never, not even in my wildest dream, expected that", the Ugandan opponent said. "We just wanted to document our story and where it has reached so far. It's much, much more than we hoped for."
