On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

Rungano Nyoni follows up her striking debut I Am Not a Witch with a bold and visionary work of grief and restitution.

Driving home from a party at night, Shula happens upon the body of her Uncle Fred lying in the road. As the family begin to mourn, a wave of collective anger slowly rises among Shula and her cousins, as they reckon with long-suppressed past traumas. Blending surrealism with dark humour, Nyoni sharply critiques the societal traditions that work to hide abuses of power. Winner of Best Director in Un Certain Regard at Cannes Film Festival 2024 for On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, Rungano Nyoni is one of today’s most distinctive filmmakers.

"Writer-director Rungano Nyoni has a wonderful way of drawing you into a world and intriguing you from the start, gradually peeling back the layers of enigmatic characters to explore Zambian culture." - Anna Smith, Time Out 

This screening is supported by Cinema Africa at Hyde Park Picture House.