Africa is a huge continent with a diverse landscape of people and cultures. More than 3,000 ethnic groups populate its vast lands, each one with its own traditions and customs. But as with anywhere else, Africa is home to persisting patriarchal structures. Zambian director Rungano Nyoni already challenged the traditions of her native land with 2017’s I Am Not a Witch (which is streaming for free via Tubi), a film that addresses how superstition is a part of government corruption. Now Nyoni is back to once again challenge traditionalism in another feature, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl.
On the drive home from a party, Shula (Susan Chardy) sees her Uncle Fred dead on the road. Shula’s chaotic drunk cousin Nsansa (Elizabeth Chisela) stumbles onto the scene and calls the authorities. With Uncle Fred dead, funeral arrangements are made and the entire extended family comes to town. But Shula and Nsansa don’t grieve for Uncle Fred. As the rest of the family mourns, Uncle Fred’s history of sexual abuse comes to light.
Similar to Nyoni’s previous feature, Guinea Fowl is about the systemic oppression of women in modern-day Zambia. Shula is a stand-in for a modernist audience’s perspective, allowing us to glimpse the world of a traditionalist society. She’s a straitlaced character who lacks patience with the traditions of her family, and the juxtaposition of her relationship with the chaotic Nsansa makes for some good dark comedy in the film’s early moments — though Nyoni slowly pulls the rug out from under her audience later in the film, dealing with brutally heavy topics such as child sexual abuse and the systemic silencing of survivors. Nyoni isn’t just playing on our sympathy, though. As the title suggests, this film is more of a call to action — a call to speak out against the injustices brought upon women — as the guinea fowl is known to warn other animals of incoming predators.
Nyoni is quickly becoming a breakout filmmaker, with two films under her belt that have garnered high praise from the cinephile community. She has delivered fresh and deeply personal stories, and her talent as a director has ensured that these stories are executed at a high level. She has a knack for combining tragedy and comedy in a way that might give some viewers tonal whiplash at first. But because Nyoni comes from a place of being so fed up that all you can do is laugh and cry, the balance lands her films somewhere between “depressing comedy” and “tragedy that looks for the comedy in a bleak situation.”
Guinea Fowl is a strong second feature that takes viewers through the Zambian traditional funeral process and the systemic patriarchy that still holds a strong grasp on the nation. The film puts a spotlight on the women held by patriarchy’s grasp, and reminds us to not be quiet in the face of oppression. It’s a must-see film for anyone who’s supportive of African progressivism or modern feminist ideology — or anyone who’s fed up with the system they are stuck in, be it on a familial scale or a societal one.
