I Am Not A Witch – 2018

Posted on Posted in Contemporary Spotlight 2018, Out of Competition

Friday, April 13, 7:30 PM
Saturday, April 14, 7:00 PM

I Am Not A Witch
Director: Rungano Nyoni
Narrative
92 minutes
United Kingdom/France/Zambia/Germany

After nine-year-old Shula is accused of being a witch by her fellow villagers, she is ushered to the state authorities for judgment, whereupon she is immediately declared guilty and unceremoniously sentenced to exile in a camp for witches of all ages. Upon arrival, she is tied to a long, white ribbon connected to a large coil whose removal, she is told, will transform her into a goat. Just like Shula, the camp denizens have been scapegoated and gathered together, occasionally expected to perform miracles.

Writer/director Rungano Nyoni’s deft directorial instincts unfurl this tale of interconnected vignettes in true mythological fashion, pointedly and with playful vigor. Gorgeously photographed and performed with resolute confidence, Nyoni’s astounding work layers satire and social critique into a richly textured and refreshing take on institutional subjugation, and the film resonates with earth-shattering power.

“It’s rare and exhilarating that a new filmmaker arrives on the scene so sure of herself and so willing to take bold, counter-intuitive chances.”- Jessica Kiang, Variety.

“Zambian-Born Welsh director Rungano Nyoni has delivered a pulsingly odd and striking original debut.” -Gwilym Mumford, The Guardian