Zambian Welsh writer-director Rungano Nyoni returned to the Toronto International Film Festival with her second feature, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl. The gripping drama examines past trauma and abuse through a culturally rich and empathetic lens. Does trauma ever truly go away when everything and everyone around you constantly stirs up old memories of it? Nyoni’s vivid perspective and voice provide a resoundingly confident answer to this question, with the cast bringing the striking emotion inherent to its message. It isn’t just stellar filmmaking, it’s necessary viewing for those of us aching to break the cycle of abuse.

Susan Chardy stars as the ever-composed and reserved Shula, a young woman who recently returned to Zambia. One evening, on the way home from a friend’s party, she stumbles upon a dead body on the road. Upon examining the body, and seemingly unperturbed by it, Shula realizes it’s her uncle Fred (Roy Chisha). News travels fast among her family members, and they plan an elaborate, multi-day funeral for Fred. As the days progress, filled with tradition and memory, the complications of Fred’s past life slowly creep into the present. The result is a collective awakening, and burial, of his sins.

On Becoming A Guinea Fowl Comes With Frustration & Empathy
In Nyoni’s haunting and emotionally gripping sophomore feature, one family comes to terms with the past transgressions of their deceased loved one through acceptance and avoidance. With the memory of trauma lingering around Fred’s funeral, Nyoni takes the opportunity to ask us, “What does justice truly look like when the perpetrator has died?” There’s no simple answer for the victims in On Becoming a Guinea Fowl — if there is even one at all. Instead, it’s a journey towards accepting the truth and taking the steps to prevent an ongoing cycle of abuse and trauma.

With the razor-sharp exposition of the competing conflicts of tradition and morality, Nyoni layers these complications on thickly with precision.

Nyoni’s powerful storytelling comes with a swarming frustration due to the circumstances the characters are in. For Shula’s return home, she must re-adapt to the cultural norms of her family in Zambia. That means praising the dead as “jovial and joyous,” even if they may not deserve those descriptors, or serving the men who only see women as baby-makers and servants. Even Shula’s inability to cry for her uncle Fred is met with contempt. In a room full of wailing aunties, there Shula sits, frozen in time, numb to her surroundings due to the unspeakable harm she endured from Fred.

Tradition is at the forefront of the film. But what happens when the tradition itself is abuse? With the majority of the story focused on women as victims — Shula and her two cousins, Nsansa (Elizabeth Chisela) and Bupe — Nyoni’s second feature is an incredibly disturbing and difficult watch, especially when we never see them get any justice or understanding. Frustration is putting it lightly when I say this is how the film will make you feel. But mostly everything about this delicate story emphasizes the importance of not staying quiet.

On Becoming A Guinea Fowl Leaves A Lasting Impression
This is thanks to a stunning lead performance
Stories of assault in this film are often encouraged to be kept a secret. Thankfully, through effective storytelling, Nyoni teaches us about the importance of usurping the power of her feature title. Guinea fowls, endemic to the continent of Africa, are famous for their cackling alarm when they sense a threat. It is our duty as women to take that responsibility and share our stories far and wide to protect those who come after us. With the razor-sharp exposition of the competing conflicts of tradition and morality, Nyoni layers these complications on thickly with precision.

With exceptional acting and an emotionally gripping script, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl is essential viewing. While increasingly frustrating over time (due to her characters not getting the understanding and justice they need and deserve), Nyoni carves out for us a complicated story of tradition, culture, and morality. In her feature acting debut, Susan Chardy stuns with a powerhouse performance that demands empathy. Thanks to an exceptional final sequence, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl will leave a lasting impression, with a hungry desire for whatever Nyoni has up her sleeve next.

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and screened at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. The film is 95 minutes long and not yet rated.