Elizabeth Chisela

Zambian-Welsh filmmaker Rungano Nyoni’s stunning debut feature I Am Not a Witch (2017) followed the story of am orphan girl called Shula who is sent to a witch camp, leading to her exploitation by a corrupt government official. In Nyoni’s sophomore feature On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, we meet – again – a central character called Shula. That both these characters have the same name might suggest an informal connection, but the life of Shula in On Becoming a Guinea Fowl is marked very much by the overbearing presence of both her immediate and extended family. Through her signature introduction of the fantastic into their brutal worlds, the presence of hope elevates Nyoni’s films to something bordering on the spiritually divine. No one makes films like her – right now, they don’t even come close.

Rungano Nyoni’s sophomore work, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, centers on Shula. Composed, educated, and middle-class, Shula is the generational shift representing African women claiming their independence and self-agency. Recently returned from an international stay, Shula is heading home from costume party with friends. Dressed as Missy Elliott and pumping tunes her night takes a sudden turn as she finds the body of her Uncle Freddy on the road. She calls her hopeless wastrel father to inform him. He promises to come and meet her if she pays for the taxi for him to get there and perhaps adds some extra money for expenses.