Thomas Sankara came to power in 1983 in the former French colony of Upper Volta. During the four years of his rule as prime minister he changed his country’s name to Burkina Faso, reduced the salaries of public servants, advanced women’s rights , began wide-scale vaccinations and called for the repudiation of foreign debt. Sankara was overthrown and assasinated in 1987. This video by Robin Shuffield focuses on Sankara’s accomplishments without overlooking his authoritarian flaws. Zorin Pro duction International - ARTE France, France 3 LCA, CRRAV.