“I am not a criminal. I am a presidential candidate.” That’s Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu – AKA Bobi Wine – speaking from inside a police van, his face pressed to the bars after being arrested for the umpteenth time. Wine is a Ugandan pop superstar; his music has earned him the nickname “Ghetto President”. This intense, raw documentary, shot over five years, follows his attempt to become Uganda’s actual president – challenging the long-reigning autocrat Yoweri Museveni. It’s an intimate portrait combined with increasingly shocking footage as his opposition movement comes under attack.
Wine is a man with intoxicating charisma, and a cracking backstory. He grew up in a Kampala slum, pulling himself up by his bootstraps, paying his own way through university and launching a music career. His childhood made him fearless, he says. At university he met his wife Barbie; at home with their four children we see what a solid rock their marriage is. Wine stood as an MP in 2017, angry at proposals by Museveni – clinging to power after more than 30 years – to change the constitution to remove the upper age limit for presidents.
It’s easy to see how Wine, now 41, became a voice for his country’s hopes. More than three-quarters of Ugandans are under the age of 35. In his beret and uniform of head-to-toe red Wine looks the part of revolutionary. He has the stomach for it too, almost recklessly defiant as authorities crack down on his presidential bid. His supporters are abducted and jailed. Wine is arrested on trumped-up charges – emerging from prison on crutches, his face swollen. His driver is shot dead.
You have to admire the bravery of the film-makers too. The camera is right there in the action – filming Wine in an ambulance, tears streaming down his face, repeating “I’m sorry” to his music producer who has just been shot in the face. It’s a sobering watch.
• Bobi Wine: The People’s President is released on 1 September in UK and Irish cinemas.
