I Am Not a Witch (2017)
Genre: Drama
Duration: 93 minuten
Country:
United Kingdom / France / Germany
Directed by: Rungano Nyoni
Stars: Maggie Mulubwa, Gloria Huwiler and Henry B.J. Phiri
IMDb score:
6,9 (4.873)
Releasedate: 20 October 2017
I Am Not a Witch plot
When a young girl suddenly appears in a remote village, strange things happen and the residents accuse her of witchcraft. She is handed over to the Minister of Tourism and Local Religions, who places her with a number of witches who have to teach her - as officials of the government - to do her job as well as possible. The witches also give her a name: Shula.
Actors and actresses
Shula
Mr. Banda
Tourist
Police Officer
Leader
Charity
Sequinned Witch
Witness
Farmer
Reviews & comments
Cinsault
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- 243 messages
- 516 votes
A special film about deep-rooted superstition in Africa that is at the same time cleverly exploited financially, resulting in a lot of human suffering. A very young girl (orphan?), who will later be named Shula, is accused by local villagers of being a witch and is declared a witch after a 'court hearing', after which she is banished to a witch community. Shula is then used as a kind of medium that should help solve all kinds of complicated problems.
Although the film portrays the superstition about witches in certain parts of Africa, its arbitrariness and its ridiculousness, this film is mainly about its harsh effects on those it affects. Although Shula (Maggie Mulubwa) has little text, her face says all the more. It is distressing to see how she is shamelessly exploited and how her childhood is taken from her. Despite the heavy fare served, the film strangely enough also offers a number of particularly laughable scenes, in which it clearly seems that the director is making fun of certain customs and traditions. It is a choice that works out well in my opinion, because it gives some air and does not make the film too heavy as a whole.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Movsin
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- 8286 messages
- 8442 votes
Film that initially upsets you a bit in many aspects, not knowing what it is and where it is actually going, eventually grows into a soulful viewing piece, critical and satirical, or... how easy it is to put a label on someone's back to stick it in a drawer and then open it to pass on responsibilities (the judiciary) or to play political games for one's own power and glory.
The grotesqueness of agent Josephine, the incompetence of the literally obsequious government official, the fragile testimony of the drunken man, the wayward queen in competition with her government are vividly depicted.
Beautiful camera work, perfectly edited to portray the dejected, uncomprehending girl Shula and her older fellow sufferers, who are also deprived of freedom, in a very suggestive way. Some cinematically beautiful shots, especially the closing image.
An outsider that could use some thought.
Translated from Dutch · View original
T.O.
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- 2428 messages
- 2806 votes
This was something different. Original and quite dryly funny film about witchcraft as a social phenomenon in contemporary Zambia (although I think this still applies to several countries).
It cannot be called really good, due to the low budget production and amateurish cast. And in this case I think they would have done well to make the whole thing a little smoother and less arty.
Phiri steals the show as government representative Mr. Banda.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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