Film #3
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl (Reino Unido, Zâmbia e Irlanda, 2024) Ainda sem título em português
Original title: On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Director: Rungano Nyoni
Writer/Screenplay: Rungano Nyoni
Main cast: Susan Chardy, Roy Chisha, Blessings Bhamjee, Chungu Bwalya, Maggie Mulumbwa e Elizabeth Chinsela
Runtime: 95 minutos (1°35’)
Warning: The movie contains many triggers.
Production company A24 has reached a level of recognition where practically every project it touches immediately becomes something to keep an eye on. And inspired by this fact and the slightly surreal aesthetic of the trailer that I made the decision to prioritize this feature film, even though I wasn’t familiar with director Rungano Nyoni’s previous film and debut I Am Not a Witch (2017).
At first, when we only see Shula (Susan Chardy) driving along a highway with an almost surrealist look, it’s not possible to understand in which country the film is set. However, in the first scenes that develop, it becomes clear that it’s the director’s home country, Zambia. Leaving a party, Shula finds a body in the middle of the road, which she discovers to be her uncle. Then, a sequence of very typical funeral rituals begins, ranging from creating great lamentations and shared crying to dealing with the division of the assets that the deceased left behind.
The first point that will probably catch the attention of more progressive viewers is the perception of the deep-rooted machismo in these traditions. Of course it’s difficult for someone not used to the local reality to understand the extent to which the director is exaggerating these traditions, but issues such as having the women constantly cooking while men simply order food are strange in a society that is changing. This is where the director and screenwriter’s brilliance comes in: she knows that this society is changing and that in a few generations, events like the one portrayed will not be tolerated. She then takes the opportunity to talk about this moment of generational clash in an honest way that ranges from the funny to the deeply moving.
The development of family relations is done in a creative way that manages to make the director’s point clear, talking about how the relationship between women is changing. Even comparing generations of women in the same family, the contrast and the subject of acceptance come in very different ways – and the uncle’s accident is but a way to make this family drama move forward. The same happens with the specific aesthetic used mainly in the first half of the film, which at first seems like it will be more experimental, but gradually moves to a more common place.
By bringing this extremely specific moment and culture, the director manages to convey a universal message about how the relationship between women is one of the essential steps towards changing entire societies. Between the almost surreal costumes, the characters that seem to be taken from pure stereotypes and the desperate situation, the film manages to reach its viewers precisely because it brings with it a reality that is unfortunately still universal, and that needs to be discussed.
Bringing many more layers than it seems at first glance, the movie shows its strength by staying with viewers long after they leave the theater. And it seems to be a good second step to Nyoni, which leaves us curious about her future works.
Translation: Renata Torres
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