The Woman Who Poked the Leopard

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.