A portrait of Captain Thomas Sankara, the unconventional president of Burkina Faso from 1983 until his assassination in 1987. At age 33, Sankara became the figurehead of the Burkinabé revolution, taking power of what was then the former French colony of Upper Volta. His aim was to end corruption, poverty and illiteracy, as well as the dependency of his country on foreign policy and the International Monetary Fund.

Picture gallery

Using archival footage, director Christophe Cupelin tells the story of this atypical president as he takes part in bicycle races, plays the electric during his leisure hours, and gathers his most staunch supporters among the most poor of the country’s population. His sometimes crazy ideas and his friendship with Colonel Kaddafi, as well as his clear position against the former colony of France, brought him many enemies. On August 15, 1987, Captain Sankara was assassinated by his right hand man Blaise Compaoré. While his nation mourned, the neighboring countries and – implicitly – France, heaved a sigh of relief.