I Am Not A Witch
Nine-year-old Shula is the first child to be sent to witch camp in this present day African satire from BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Rungano Nyoni.
Set in Zambia, the birthplace of writer-director Rungano Nyoni, I Am Not A Witch revolves around a 9 year old girl, Shula, who is accused of witchcraft. Shula is the first child to be taken to a travelling witch camp, where she is tethered to a spool with a ribbon. She is told that should she cut the ribbon and attempt to escape, she will be cursed and transformed into a goat. Over time Shula begins to long for freedom. Forced to decide whether to accept her fate as a witch, Shula ignites a rebellion within the camp. I Am Not A Witch stars newcomer Maggie Mulubwa, and is the first feature film from Nyoni, whose short films have earned her multiple awards and a BAFTA nomination.
Awards
I Am Not a Witch won three British Independent Film Awards: Rungano Nyoni took home both Best Director and the Douglas Hickox Award for Debut Director, while Emily Morgan won the award for Breakthrough Producer.
At the British Academy Film Awards, I Am Not A Witch writer/director Rungano Nyoni and producer Emily Morgan were awarded the prize for Outstanding Debut.
Trailer
Related
I Am Not a Witch Interview
Zambian-Welsh filmmaker Rungano Nyoni’s debut feature I Am Not A Witch tells the story of Shula, a young girl sent to live in a community of accused ‘witches’.