The Woman Who Poked the Leopard
Patience Nitumwesiga / UG, ZA, DE, US, 2025 / 108 min.
After serving a a prison sentence for insulting the Ugandan president, activist and poet Stella Nyanzi runs for parliament. Although she herself calls it a sham election, it is the only way to criticize the government.
In 2018, the activist, poet, and scholar Stella Nyanzi was arrested for insulting Ugandan president and dictator Yoweri Museveni online. The torture she endured in prison resulted in a miscarriage. In 2020, she campaigned for the parliamentary elections in the hope of preventing Museveni from serving a sixth term.
Nyanzi is one of Uganda’s most prominent activists. She is an outspoken feminist and advocates for the rights of queer people in a conservative country where homosexuality is punishable by death. During her campaign, she was constantly obstructed by the authorities.
Footage of Nyanzi’s campaign is interspersed with archive material of the protests and oppression in Uganda. This is accompanied by scenes in her home and conversations with her three teenage children. The result is a portrait not only of Nyanzi herself, but also of Uganda’s political landscape and the toll her activism takes on her family.
This is part of
Details
Director
Patience Nitumwesiga
Production year
2025
Country
UG, ZA, DE, US
Length
108 min.
Language
English
Subtitles
NONE
Format
DCP
Part of
IDFA 2025
The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) is once again bringing an exciting selection of the world’s best documentaries to Eye this year, from 13 through 23 November.
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