I Am Not a Witch

Set in Zambia

Cast: Benfors 'Wee Do, Boyd Banda, Kalundu Banda
Director: Rungano Nyoni
Genre: Drama
Running Time: 95 minutes

Synopsis: After a minor incident in her village, nine-year-old Shula is exiled to a travelling witch camp where she is told that if she tries to escape she will be transformed into a goat. As she navigates through her new life with her fellow witches and a government official who espouses her, exploiting her innocence for his own gain, she must decide whether to accept her fate or risk the consequences of seeking freedom.

I Am Not a Witch
Release Date: April 19th, 2018

About The Film

I Am Not A Witch is financed by the BFI (with National Lottery Funding), Film4, Ffilm Cymru Wales, Aide aux Cinémas du Monde (CNC-Institut français), the Berlinale's World Cinema Fund and HBF+Europe: Minority Coproduction support. It was developed with the support of the BFI NET.WORK and Ffilm Cymru Wales.

Set in Zambia, I Am Not A Witch follows nine-year old Shula who is exiled to a witch camp.

I Am Not A Witch is the feature directorial debut from Rungano Nyoni, born in Zambia and raised in Wales.

The film was shot in Zambia's capital city Lusaka and rural areas around it, and features a cast of nonprofessional actors, led by nine year-old Maggie Mulubwa in the lead role of Shula. Maggie was discovered during a locations recce in a remote part of Luapula province.

Director's Statement

I Am Not A Witch came about because of a huge spate of witch accusations that took place over a particularly dry summer in Zambia. What drew me in particular was that these accusations of witchcraft were almost always aimed at Women. Naturally this added to my curiosity. I soon saw this phenomena repeated throughout different parts of Africa. Eventually my research took me to Ghana. For over a month I stayed in one of the oldest Witch Camps in the world (over 200 years old) – The first foreigner to sleep there apparently.

It's my stay at the -witch camp' that informed the script. I observed the life at the camp, how they were organized, the routines and characters. For example the character of Tembo was inspired by the Keeper whose father and father's father were charged to look after and oversee the witches' welfare. A job that had been passed down his family for over 100 years. I observed how limited these women's lives had become based on nothing more than hearsay. I also witnessed the hostility of the locals towards the women in the camp.

What was particularly shocking in Zambia is that it's a country dominated by Bembas (my Maternal Tribe). The Bemba people are Matriarchal. We pride ourselves in the equality between Men and Women. Women were in the army and police long before many Western Countries admitted them. Women could divorce just as easily as Men. Women can own land and inherit just as a Man does. Even our names are gender neutral.

It's this apparent contradiction that held my curiosity.

I Am Not a Witch
Release Date: April 19th, 2018