Musician and activist Fela Kuti (1938–1997), credited with creating the musical movement Afrobeat, rose to international stardom. He turned his prominence into a political forum to oppose the Nigerian dictatorship, and after developing AIDS, he helped to raise awareness of the disease's devastating presence in Africa.

Directed by Academy Award winner Alex Gibney and inspired by the Bill T. Jones-directed Broadway hit Fela, this documentary combines behind-the-scenes shots from the stage show, interviews with Kuti's family and contemporaries, and archival performance footage. The film features commentary by Bill T. Jones, Sir Paul McCartney, Ahmir Khalib "Questlove" Thompson and many others.