Docs Ireland 2023: Bobi Wine: The People’s President

This observational documentary film follows Bobi Wine and his wife Barbie. Bobi rises from the ghetto slums of Kampala to one of the country’s most loved superstars. His musical

talent lifts him and emboldens millions of previously voiceless people. Bobi uses his music for activism, then becomes an Independent Member of Parliament to stand to defend the rights of his people.

Bobi’s wife, Barbie, by standing with him, plunges her own life into uncertainty. The film is an examination of the disturbing misuse of the legal and parliamentary systems, two supposed pillars of democracy. The country’s institutions are controlled by the State to ensure President Museveni, an autocratic strongman, who has held power since 1986, continues to rule Uganda. Bobi and Barbie must risk everything, their lives and their futures to challenge him. This is not just a story for Uganda, it is a narrative for all those who struggle under dictatorial regimes. This story has never been so relevant.

Directors Statement – Bobi and Barbie are once-in-a-lifetime heroes who take great personal risks to dislodge and liberate a nation from a regime that has been in power for 35 years.

As documentary filmmakers, occasionally, we are fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to relate events that can instigate transformation. We believe that this is one of those occasions. In a world which presently feels more tyrannical than ever, we have a duty to celebrate those who stand against violence and offer hope in the face of autocracy.