I Am Not a Witch is a gripping drama directed by Rungano Nyoni which shines a light on the practice of witchcraft in Zambia. The film follows the story of a young girl named Shula, played by Maggie Mulubwa, who is accused of witchcraft by her own community and subsequently sent to a "witch camp". The movie explores themes such as superstition, corruption, and exploitation.
The opening scene of the movie shows Shula walking through a village with a group of women who are all bound together with a long white ribbon. This ribbon is meant to symbolize their connection to one another and their status as witches. Initially, Shula denies being a witch but the women in the village insist that she is and accuse her of a variety of supernatural offenses such as causing droughts and death.
Shula is then taken to a government-run camp where she joins a group of other women who are also accused of witchcraft. The camp is run by a corrupt bureaucrat named Mr. Banda, played by Henry B.J. Phiri, who exploits the women's labor for his own gain. The women are forced to perform menial tasks such as carrying water and grinding corn in exchange for food and shelter. They are also put to work as tourist attractions, with visitors paying to see them perform rituals and display their purported powers.
Throughout the film, Shula is presented as a stoic and resolute figure who is determined to prove her innocence and resist the manipulation of those in power. Her refusal to follow the rules of the camp or to maintain a meek and submissive demeanor earns her the nickname "the stubborn one". Despite the bleakness of her situation, she manages to maintain a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around her, often gazing up at the sky or examining the bugs and plants she encounters.
The aesthetic of the film is striking, with stark landscapes and bold colors adding to the sense of otherworldliness and surrealism. The music, composed by Matthew James Kelly, combines traditional Zambian sounds with haunting electronic beats.
As the movie unfolds, it becomes clear that the issue of witchcraft is not just a matter of superstition or folklore but is deeply intertwined with issues of power and exploitation. Mr. Banda and the other officials in charge of the camp use the women's supposed witchcraft as a justification for their cruel treatment, and the tourists who come to visit are only interested in reinforcing their own beliefs about the "exotic" and "primitive" practices of others.
I Am Not a Witch is a powerful and thought-provoking film that exposes the injustices faced by those who are marginalized and misunderstood. It does not offer easy answers or tidy resolutions, but rather challenges viewers to confront their own preconceptions and biases. At its heart, the movie is a moving portrait of a young girl who refuses to be defined by the labels others have imposed on her and who holds fast to her own sense of dignity and agency.
I Am Not a Witch is a 2018 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 33 minutes.
It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.9 and a MetaScore of 80.
