I Am Not a Witch (2017)

I Am Not a Witch: Directed by Rungano Nyoni. With Maggie Mulubwa, Henry B.J. Phiri, Nancy Murilo, Margaret Spinella. In a remote Zambian community a girl is denounced as a witch and sent on a trajectory of exploitation, as a tethered member of a witches’ camp, a witch for hire and a tourist exhibit.

“I was profoundly moved by I Am Not a Witch. Many members of the cast are in their first film feature, and all are stellar, especially Maggie Mulubwa, who plays Shula. Her face is so expressive. Director and writer, Rungano Nyoni, transported me to a place Iu0026#39;d never been. Itu0026#39;s rural Zambia. Itu0026#39;s modern day (I wonu0026#39;t ever forget that the first time we see little Shula, she has a t-shirt that says #bootycall). Yet, itu0026#39;s a cultural phenomenon that I donu0026#39;t know much about, witch camps.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDespite the dire subject matter, there are comic moments. Many times that I wanted to laugh, though, I also wanted to cry, because the circumstances were ridiculous to me, and Shula is caught up in a world where she apparently has no control, no say in her own life. Sheu0026#39;s asked to resolve disputes, judge others, alter weather patterns, even be on display, when all she really wants is to be a 9 year old, go to school, be nurtured. In the end, we see parallels to other, more familiar, stories. Itu0026#39;s haunting.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCinematography by David Gallego and Art Direction by Malin Lindholm are perfection. The images will stay with you.”