EXCLUSIVE: Millions of people around the world know Bobi Wine as a charismatic pop star, acclaimed for Afrobeat music with a propulsive rhythm. But to many in his native Uganda, he is far more than that – he’s the man they would like to see leading their country, instead of dictator Yoweri Museveni.
Wine’s remarkable rise from the slums of Kampala to a serious challenger to Museveni’s rule is told in the new documentary Bobi Wine: The People’s President, directed by Moses Bwayo and Christopher Sharp. National Geographic, in partnership with Variance Films, releases the film theatrically in New York and Los Angeles on July 28, with a broader rollout to follow. We have your first look at Bobi Wine in the trailer above.
National Geographic
“I want this message to go to President Museveni,” Wine, wearing his signature red beret, tells a huge crowd at a rally in the streets. “On behalf of the people of Uganda, I am challenging you to a free and fair election!” His infectious music, with lyrics sharply critical of Museveni, galvanizes a movement — but at great personal risk to Wine, his wife Barbara (“Barbie”) Kyagulanyi and their four kids.
The film shows how Wine and his supporters were attacked by forces loyal to Museveni, who faces potential prosecution at the International Criminal Court in The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity.
“The violence kept on increasing as we got close to the election [in 2021],” Bwayo tells Deadline. “His people were kidnapped, and there were attempted assassinations on Bobi’s life.”
Bobi Wine (center) and supporters in Katakwi district in Eastern Uganda, November 14, 2020.
Lookman Kampala/National Geographic
At one point during the presidential campaign, Wine was arrested and imprisoned in a military barracks. He emerged with severe injuries inflicted by his captors.
“They beat me. They used pliers to pull my ears. They put pepper spray in my eyes,” Wine tells Deadline. “They kicked me. … I had to spend the whole week urinating blood and pus. … They hit my ankles with bats. They hit me with wire cables everywhere, [waterboarded] me. They hurled insults at me.”
Still, he refuses to quit his country. “I can’t leave Uganda, man,” he says. “Uganda is home.”
Bobi Wine: The People’s President is directed by Bwayo and Sharp and produced by Sharp along with two-time Oscar winner John Battsek, managing director of Ventureland. After its theatrical run, the documentary will premiere on National Geographic Channel and Disney+ later this year. It held its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival last September, going on to screen at Telluride, CPH:DOX, DocAviv in Tel Aviv, Israel and other major festivals.
Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, campaigns in 2020.
Lookman Kampala/National Geographic
“At National Geographic we tell gripping, globally relevant stories that inspire a deeper understanding of our world,” Carolyn Bernstein, EVP of Scripted and Documentary Films for National Geographic, said in a statement. “As soon as we learned of Bobi Wine’s unlikely journey from pop star to defender of democracy, we knew this urgent and timely story was a perfect fit. We look forward to sharing it with audiences this summer.”
Co-director Sharp said: “Being born and raised in Uganda, I feel strongly that the people there should have leaders who represent their collective interests. After meeting Bobi and Barbie, I was compelled to share their story with the world — a story of courage and bravery in the face of merciless violence. My hope is that the film will encourage all those who suffer under autocratic regimes to continue the fight for freedom.”
Bwayo, the co-director, was nearly killed during the making of the documentary.
From left: Moses Bwayo, Barbie Kyagulanyi and Bobi Wine at the 2022 Telluride Film Festival
Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images
“I was shot in the face at close range. I was locked up in jail. I was arrested a couple of times,” he tells Deadline. “So the violence went from what I was covering — because at the beginning, I thought I was just covering this story, and it’s political and it’s happening to them — but then at the end of the day, it started happening to journalists as well, including myself.”
Bwayo is currently seeking political asylum in the U.S. In a statement, he said, “It is incredibly gratifying to share the story of my motherland, Uganda, during a time in history when a brave group of individuals led by Bobi Wine dared to dream of a different future for our country against a 35-year military dictatorship. The fight for a truly democratic society continues, but it demands tremendous sacrifice; I only hope this struggle for change brings a breath of fresh air that Uganda urgently needs.”
Watch the trailer above.
