10th May – 19:30 The Terry O’Toole Theatre
UK/Zambia 2017
Dir: Rungano Nyoni
Cert: 12A
93 mins
Starring: Maggie Mulubwa, Henry B. J. Phiri
When an unknown 9-year-old girl turns up in a remote Zambian village it is assumed she must be a witch. She neither confirms not denies this allegation and is taken to a “witch camp”, comprising of much older women, all deemed to be witches. Shula (as she is named by the others) is regularly exploited by the local authorities who demand that she use her “mystic” powers to their advantage. She adjudicates at a criminal case, is called upon to perform a rain dance and even appears on a TV chat show. “I am not a witch” provides an extraordinary glimpse into a world where ancient superstition persists and a barbed satire on the patriarchal society which so willingly exploits that superstition to limit women’s freedom. An imaginative and impressive BAFTA winning first feature from a director to watch.
Trailer:
