150 Word Review: 'On Becoming a Guinea Fowl' (2025)
The bird is the word
Uncle Fred is dead in writer-director Rungano Nyoni’s somber comedy On Becoming a Guinea Fowl. His corpse is discovered on the side of the road by his niece, on her way home from a fancy costume party. His death sets off a complex multi-day funeral ritual in the sprawling, economically mixed suburbs of Lusaka, the capital of Zambia.
The niece, Shula, is played with subtle, heartbreaking detachment by Susan Chardy. She is successful and dismayed by her sudden responsibilities: hosting Fred’s farewell.
This is a story about sexual abuse and the many ways family and community fail their weakest members. The grieving family appears run by a group of ‘aunties’ who serve and protect. Shula’s father is a louse who constantly borrows money from her. Her cousin, Nsansa, self-medicates with humor and drink. Nyoni’s portrait of Zambian culture is damning and, also, universal.
Guinea fowls are native African birds that squawk when predators are close.