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In On Air  the Belgium journalist Manno travels through the African Great Lakes region searching for inspiration after a midlife crisis, where he meets Bob Rugurika, a passionate and charismatic colleague who is the director of Radio Publique Africaine (RPA), the most popular private radio station in Burundi. Bob sees it as his mission to fight for freedom of expression and is willing to risk his life to reveal the truth. With the RPA, he continuously challenges the regime and he becomes its number one public enemy. When Bob reveals the involvement of president Nkurunziza in the murder of three nuns in a radio report, he is immediately arrested and put in prison. Under international pressure, he is released after a month and a euphoric crowd welcomes him on his return to the RPA.

With the presidential elections approaching, the country finds itself in a vortex of tension. Bob and his radio support the Burundian people who take to the streets to claim their human rights. As a consequence, they find themselves in the eye of the storm.

Subjects: Journalism, African Studies, African Cinema, Human Rights

Institutional Licensing Options

DVD with PPR: $349

ORIGINAL TITLE: On Air
GENRE: Feature Film – Documentary
DURATION: 80 min
ORIGINAL LANGUAGE: Kirundi, French, English
COUNTRY: Belgium, The Netherlands
DIRECTOR: Manno Lanssens
WRITER: Manno Lassens
PRODUCTION: Serendipity Films in co-production with CTM Docs & Iota Production
YEAR: 2019