On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

Rungano Nyoni’s follow-up to her BAFTA-winning debut I Am Not a Witch is a powerful and atmospheric tale of tradition, strength and recovery. 

Driving home in the inky Zambian night, Shula seems unfazed by the sight of her uncle’s dead body on the road. Later, while helping run funeral proceedings, her cool exterior melts as she questions her family’s complicity towards the abuse she suffered in the past. As Nyoni makes clear through this perceptive drama, silence breeds impunity. With touches of mordant humour and flights of surrealism, the superb On Becoming a Guinea Fowl confirms Nyoni’s position as one of British cinema’s most sophisticated and distinctive voices.