“On Becoming a Guinea Fowl,” the second feature from Zambian-Welsh writer-director Rungano Nyoni, has been picked up by A24 for international sales ahead of its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival next month.
The film, which marks Nyoni’s follow-up to her acclaimed 2017 feature debut “I Am Not a Witch,” is produced by Fremantle’s Element Pictures. It’s one of three films the Irish production company has in the festival’s official selection and was made with support from BBC Film. It will bow in the Un Certain Regard sidebar competition.
While the plot has been kept under wraps, in his lineup announcement Cannes director Thierry Fremaux said the film was a “family drama” set in Africa and also a “comedy,” describing it as “very strong.”
“I Am Not a Witch,” which first landed in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight, marked Nyoni as a filmmaker with a unique voice and one to watch. A darkly comic story of a young African girl who local villagers believe to be a witch — inspired by genuine witchcraft accusations in Zambia — the feature became a festival favorite and went on to win the BAFTA for outstanding debut by by British writer, director or producer, alongside 10 nominations and three wins at the British Independent Film Awards. It was the U.K.’s submission for the 2019 Academy Awards.
In her review of the film, Variety‘s Jessica Kiang said that it investigated the “dichotomies of ancient and modern, familiar and alien, prosaic and mystical,” adding that Nyoni “clearly has a great deal she wants to say, and now, thanks to this invigorating, intriguing and provocative debut, she has a whole career ahead of her in which to say it.”
Last year, Nyoni attended Cannes as part of the feature film jury.
