Let me start off by saying, "Yes. I did watch 'Jurassic World: Rebirth' in the movie theater." It's two hours and 14 minutes long, so it at least isn't unbearably lengthy. But it felt like I was watching a video game or a theme park ride for kids, and every moment of this video game/ride had ideas and surprises we've all seen before in past "Jurassic Park" or "Jurassic World" films.
So I'm addressing a different film this week with more uniqueness, emotional insight, and courage than many films I've seen this year. This film is, "On Becoming a Guinea Fowl" and was shot in the African country of Zambia. Written and directed by a Zambian native who grew up in England, "On Becoming a Guinea Fowl" starts when a 20-something woman named Shula drives home from a party late at night and discovers the dead body of her uncle lying in the road.
While the police investigate the death and funeral plans begin, Shula tries to talk with various family members about this uncle and his predatory behavior. Reviewing her memories and talking with cousins, Shula pushes the older and younger members of her family to try facing the scars of the past and understand how they happened. This film combines both disquieting drama and unexpected comedy about what happens when family members clash over childhood secrets and unspoken trauma.
The African language Bemba comprises most of the dialogue in this film as Bemba is one of Zambia's recognized regional languages. Using this language, and casting African actors, makes this film feel incredibly absorbing, artistically legitimate, and universally relatable despite its exotic setting. Director & writer Rungano Nyoni had a bit of success with her first feature-length film, "I Am Not a Witch" from 2017.
Now her second film, which had a limited release in U.S. theaters in March this year and just became available on HBO MAX on July 4th, will hopefully increase the awareness of contemporary African cinema in the minds of movie lovers.
"On Becoming a Guinea Fowl" is gently thoughtful and compact, showing much of the emotional landscapes of its female characters rather than verbally telling them. Like the 2024 film "Bird" (from the United Kingdom), the 2021 film "Hive" (from Kosovo), or the 2021 film "Murina" (from Croatia), "On Becoming a Guinea Fowl" is an honest, international, coming-of-age film employing interesting metaphors of naturalism when a woman's fierce identity merges with the wildness of the animal kingdom.
Forced to move through numerous traditions, customs, and expectations, the leading character Shula is an imperfect example of the value of speaking out against ugly, discriminating abuse against women. With only a run-time of one hour and 39 minutes, I felt totally connected with this film. It acts like a cultural vessel on the reverence for the past while also figuring out how to communicate and solve problems for the future.
