an unexceptional bio documentary about the Nigerian revolutionary Fela Kuti and the afro-beat genesis. not so crazy about the whole behind-the-scenes-making-of Broadway production entanglement with the archival footage to be honest. aside from that, personally, Fela's extreme patriarchal misogynistic treatment of women and dismissal of modern medicine were some hard pills to swallow, but if you can get over that, you might enjoy it.

not the best made music doc, nor the best from multi-award winning prolific doc master Alex Gibney, this is still a good engaging more than watchable portrait of a controversial African musical and political figure....mixed with archival footage and interviews and interwoven with the story of current Broadway choereogrpahy Bill t Jones making his Broadway show about Fela, it paints an interesting portrait of how to learn about a person as much as it is about the person...the music is great but there is not enough it does not only tell you about the man but about the eras he was in and the Africa around him, from his upbringing and career, to his love affair with weed and love affairs and poligamy to his jailing, his late career and his dying of AIDS...we see the world around him as well as him which is good...and we see his funeral and overall impact...

Saw it twice, intriguing story about a complex man who was a political activist using music to deliver prophetic music that is relevant today. Also talks about his complex life as a father, husband and chief priest.

Don't much care for Alex Gibney's "Finding Fela". It's a movie that is more about the making of the broadway performance of Fela than about revealing the many complex, dynamic and contradictory sides of a phenomenal but flawed organic intellectual and musical genius. "Finding Fela" plays out as many voyeuristic moments; i.e., the misappropriation of the life of a legend by people who know little about him making a movie for an audience who have also never known his music. Truth be told, I also did not care for the Fela lead in the broadway play. He has none of Fela's power and charisma, even if he can perform, plus his British accent kept getting in the way of believability. Wonder why one of his sons, e.g., Femi Kuti, didn't take on the role. Still there is some saving grace with the many snippets showing the awesome man himself.

Great Journey through the life and the politics of this wild musician

Pretty stunning look at the legend, even if the Broadway show jumps kind of take away from learning more about him while advertising the performance. I get why it's there and would love to see it, but a straight forward doc might have been better...

More about his personal and political life than his music itself, this is a welcome view into a legend and visionary.

A moving re-discovery fascinating subject, Finding Fela celebrates Fela's music and his resistance to the dictatorial Nigerian government. That's not to say that the film it shies away from Fela's weaknesses. As archival footage is interspersed with interviews with family members, it quickly becomes clear that the world is full of individuals who keenly remember the shortcomings in Fela's less-than-traditional approach to marriage and fatherhood. But like the film, they remember him fondly, and for the most part we find ourselves laughing along with them as they recall his eccentricities. What emerges is a comprehensive portrait of a character who inspired millions through sheer force of personality, and whose story remains compelling to this day. While the film doesn't forgive Fela his flaws, it is ultimately an invitation to celebrate -- to celebrate Fela's music, and to celebrate Fela himself as an extraordinary individual who is perhaps humanized by his excesses.

What a powerful and compelling documentary. I liked how the story was told, how the interviews, musicals, and the original footage were weaved together to take on a chronological journey of his music, personal life, and impact on the world. It was so intense towards the latter stage of his life! Fela worn so many hats and I thought the movie did a great job presenting all of them, including the controversial ones. I would recommend this movie without a doubt to anyone who loves a strong character and well-produced documentary.

Fascinating film on a truly compelling subject. The movie works well on two levels - first and foremost as a documentary of the life of Fela Kuti, who is shockingly unknown in the West considering his popularity and impact in Nigeria and throughout Africa. Fela led an extraordinary life, and his story is ample fodder for a documentary. What distinguishes this film for me, however, is that it goes beyond being simply a well constructed documentary by using the narrative device of the creation of "Fela!", the Broadway musical based on Fela's life. The second level on which the film worked for me was how it showed the writers and choreographers of "Fela!" working and struggling to honestly depict the life of a complicated man like Fela on the stage. The film does an excellent job of capturing this creative process and the struggles of artists to bring life to "Fela!" in a way that doesn't whitewash the 'warts', but also doesn't allow certain aspects of the story to overwhelm the greater negative of Fela's struggle and contribution. I thought it was quite ambitious of the film makers to attempt to tackle essentially two films in one (the life of Fela, and the creation of a theatrical portrayal of his life), and I applaud their flawless execution.

Great movie!! Wonderful intertwining of real-life footage and B'way show. A must see for anyone interested in what it means to stand up against tyranny.

Incredible documentary! Whether you know of Fela or not, this is one film that you have to see!!

An epic adventure in the politically charged life of iconic social protester Fela Kuti. If you don't know him, you should see this film, and if you do, it's worth a further peak into his life and the culture he brought forth.

Great film. Enjoyed the musical aspect of the film in addition to Fela's history.

I was intrigued by the story of Fela but also by hearing the story through the words of people who were around him or influenced by him. This a great doc for any fans of music docs and especially fans of Fela Kuti & Afrobeat music. I especially like the interview footage with Fela's son, Seun Kuti, who has gained attention on his own recently with his latest album.

An honest and in depth portrait of a man, his music, his courage and his madness. I loved the parallel story of making a show about Fela on broadway. I'm glad that Fela is given his time and place on screen, on stage.

I never got to see the Broadway show Fela! Which works out here because the Director apparently was unable to tell his story without using a HUGE chunk of footage from the Broadway show. In fact, I'm not sure if this documentary was about Fela the man or about the making of the Broadway show Fela! I'm not certain the Director knew which one he was making either.

A powerful movie about a powerful musician and a power voice.