'On Becoming a Guinea Fowl' is a darkly comedic film by Rungano Nyoni, focusing on Shula, who encounters her Uncle Fred's dead body in an unexpected manner. The film explores her return into a traditional family setting, marked by its patriarchal structure and deep-seated secrets. Premiering at Cannes, it portrays the days-long rituals of a Bemba family, highlighting the unfairness of gender roles as women manage the funeral while men remain passive. Nyoni's striking filmmaking serves as a refreshingly unique piece in contemporary cinema, promising to captivate audiences.
Shula, portrayed by Susan Chardy, does not behave in a way that we would expect. Instead, we sit there with her in silence, her in sunglasses and a silver helmeted mask adorned with sparkling rhinestones.
Nyoni centers this story around a dayslong funeral for this predominately Bemba family, where the women, like Shula, are reluctant but obedient participants in the rituals.
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