Many African countries seem to have inherited a distorted image of who a leader of a people, or a nation, is and what character a leader should have. What responsibilities should a leader have, and what they should expect from a leader?

Synopsis

'The Upright Man' is a documentary film about Thomas Sankara, former president of Burkina Faso. Sankara was known as "the African Che", and became famous in Africa due to his innovative ideas, his devastating humour, his spirit and his altruism. With a gun in one hand and Karl Marx's works in the other, Sankara became president at the age of 34 and served from 1983 to 1987. He immediately set out to shake the foundations of the country that he renamed from the French colonial Upper Volta to Burkina Faso, "Land of Upright Men." More than a classic biography, this film sheds light on the impact that this man and his politic made on Burkina Faso and Africa in general.