MEDIA INTERVIEW 'ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL' WITH LEAD ACTRESS SUSAN CHARDY BY ESTHER AUSTIN

 “Rungano Nyoni’s follow-up to her BAFTA-winning debut I Am Not a Witch is a powerful and atmospheric tale of tradition, abuse and strength within a Zambian family. Driving home one night, Shula seems unfazed by the sight of her uncle’s dead body on the road. Later, while helping in funeral proceedings, her cool exterior melts as she questions her family’s complicity towards the abuse she and her cousins suffered. As Nyoni makes clear through this perceptive drama, silence breeds impunity. With touches of humour and surrealism, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl confirms her position as one of her generation’s most distinctive voices.”

Susan, what was it like to play the role of Shula especially from an emotional perspective? It was complicated at times, but I learned so much from playing a character who's very complex with how she shows her emotions. So it was finding the balance of going through what the character's going through.

There was a kind of rage, confusion and storm of what she's dealing with inside and trying to portray that visually so the audience could get a piece of what I was feeling without having to say a lot. I don't really say a lot about how I feel in the film. So I was kind of navigating through that and finding a space where people could see me without me having to show them what I'm trying to show them.

The film is about breaking tradition, dealing with tradition, looking at tradition from a different perspective, through new and different lens. How did you keep the essence of tradition in the midst of all that destabilizing?

I think it's important to be able to tell the story, but it's important to keep the culture there. Because even though it is a film made in Zambia, where Zambians are in it, the subject matter and the topic is universal. So I think if we strip the film of the culture, you would just have this film that doesn't give you that sense of who we are as a nation, as Zambians, and what we have dealt with growing up. Because what Shula and her family had, with respect to their tradition, we have don't necessarily relate to certain people here. Some people might not be able to see themselves in those situations. For example, in the funeral setting there's a scene where I have to crawl out, where if you went to a funeral in England, you wouldn't be doing that.

It would almost be bizarre for you to be crawling around, at a funeral to get a cup of tea. But I think it's really important to widen people's views and teach people what our Zambian culture is. It's important to keep the subject matter there, but also show how our culture deals with things, because everybody's different within each culture. However, in a general sense, the culture is important to give the audience a sense of what Shula and her family were going through and how they handled this situation (I say this without giving too much away.)

What was the most meaningful part of 'On Becoming a Guinea Fowl' for you? The part that touched you beyond the acting, both during filming and watching it?

Filming 'On Becoming a Guinea Fowl' it was the scene when I'm in the hospital bed holding her baby. To me that was the scene that struck with me the most emotionally and mentally because that was the moment where Shula really realizes that, actually, this isn't about Shula saving them. It was about Shula saving herself. I think that was the moment where she realizes this and that was tough for her to handle.

And the part that touched me whilst watching the film, was the last scene with me in it with ..... the others. (I don't want to give away too much again). When people see the film, they'll get it. However, watching it, really shook me because it made me angry, it made me sad, I felt empowered, and at times I was filled with rage.

What do you feel people will take away from ‘On Becoming a Guinea Fowl’? Because there are quite a few pivotal and very strong moments that will change perspective on so many different levels.

I think a lot of people might be angry because there's a lot of anger in it, but I don't want that to be the thing that stays with them.

What I want them to see is that there's a simmering hope that grows and there's a resilience in it. There's a sisterhood in it and saying saying sisterhood doesn't necessarily mean it's about females watching this film and coming together, because it’s much more than that. I think a lot of men need to watch the film as well. But it’s a film about hope, resilience and courage for me.

Writer and Director Rungano Nyoni

The Last Shadow Scholars and On Becoming A Guinea Fowl premiered at the 68th BFI London Film Festival 2024.