The next time you’re tempted to complain about the American political process, take a look at “Bobi Wine: The People’s President.”
This epic about the Ugandan opposition leader, activist and musical star of that name who used his music to fight the regime that had been led for 35 years by Yoweri Museveni is at the Digital Gym in downtown San Diego (and available elsewhere on ???
Museveni took power in 1986 and changed Uganda’s constitution to enable him to run for yet another five-year term. Does that sound familiar?
Bobi Wine, born in 1982 in the Kamwokya slums of Kampala to his mother, a nurse, and father, a veterinarian and farmer, was unhappy with Museveni’s tactics and wanted to improve the lives of his fellow Ugandans. So in 2017 he
enlisted the approval of his wife Barbara Itungo Kyagulanyi (Barbie) and decided to run for a parliamentary seat just vacated.
He campaigned for hospital sanitization, malaria prevention, refugees’ rights and children’s education. His songs focused on the struggles of Uganda’s underprivileged and he called upon the people to get involved and change their country’s destiny.
It was a grueling campaign, and though the people seemed impressed by Bobi, the film is full of grisly actions and awful scenes from the police and the political establishment.
Ultimately, however, Bobi wins his seat.
The film is co-directed by Christopher Sharp and Moses Bwayo. Sharp, born in Uganda, spent his early working life as a film editor in London. He met Bobi and Barbie in 2017 and was inspired by their courage.
Los Angeles-based filmmaker Bwayo, born in the village of Bududa on the slopes of Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda, was introduced to filmmaking by peeking through cracks in the walls of local bootleg movie theaters housed in wooden shacks.
The two, having shot hundreds of hours of footage, spent two years in the cutting room.
It’s a remarkable cinematic achievement, both inspirational and horrifying. I recommend it highly.
The details
“Bobi Wine: The People’s President” opens Aug. 4 and plays Aug. 11-17, 2023 at Digital Gym Cinema, 1100 Market St., San Diego.
Prices: $12 regular; $10 students & seniors; $9 members
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