I Am Not a Witch

2017 Directed by Rungano Nyoni

Convicted of witchcraft, 8-year-old Shula is brought to live in a penal colony where witches do hard labor in service of the government in this ravishing and revelatory feature debut. I Am Not a Witch is the rare satire that inspires laughter and tears within the span of a single scene.

Maggie Mulubwa Henry B.J. Phiri Gloria Huwiler Nellie Munamonga Dyna Mufuni Nancy Murilo Ritah Mubanga Chileshe Kalimamukwento Travers Merrill

93 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by Eli Hayes ★★★★ 2

First two acts are one of
my favorite dark comedies
of the year -- third act is one
of the most moving tragedies
of '17, and the final few scenes
are spectacularly surreal; the
social satire that 2017 needed.
Review by Steven Sheehan ★★★★

An extremely confident debut from Rungano Nyoni full of wonder, humour, reflection and tragedy. The film looks wonderful too and cinematographer, David Gallego (Embrace of the Serpent), really makes the most of the sparse Zambian landscape. It cleverly plays with traditional gender politics (and not entirely focused on women) to open discussion about respectability and marriage, lineage and how those accused of witchcraft are so easily discarded and branded for life, based on little more than a hunch. All done without resorting to cliched African poverty porn. This is a director to keep on eye on if this is anything to go by. Highly recommend.
Review by ˗ˏˋ Liam ˊˎ˗ ★★★★

if you need me i'll be in my room writing an essay on the representation of women through witchcraft in cinema and comparing this beautiful yet heartbreaking little work of art to the glorious Suspiria (2018) and The Witch (2015) 🤓
Review by emma katharine ★★★★

"i should have chosen to be a goat. at least goats can move about freely and eat what they like."
:(
Review by reibureibu ★★★★½

I Am Not a Witch has an atypical portrayal of witches: here they're still hunted down, but instead of being put to the death they're "merely" put to work in labor camps.
The nameless child in here is accused of being a witch, but because she does not confirm nor deny that accusation no one's sure what to do with her. A government leader decides to have her join the other witches in his camp, and the child is given a name by those women.
"This girl... I've named her Shula."
"Shula!"
"It's a nice name."
"It's a very nice name."
"Listen, it means to be uprooted.
This girl has been uprooted."
"It's a very nice name."
The rest of…
Review by Graham 🍁 ★★★★

Hang on a minute. Is this a comedy, dramady or just plain bonkers?
There is so much going on that I found it difficult to decide, but the more I watch and read, the more it feels like genuinely well crafted satire. What I know for sure is that this is absolutely brilliant entertainment.
Watching a group of old ladies with painted faces, tied to the ground with ribbons and being introduced to a busload of Euro-tourists as witches that have been constrained to prevent them from flying to the UK (cos, you know, that's what your average Zambian witch gets up to on a Tuesday morning) was hysterically funny and yet, really thought provoking.
The soundtrack to the film…
Review by fran hoepfner ★★★½

nothing is safe from capitalism, not even "having weird vibes"
Review by Chadwin ★★★½

Powerful imagery, with purposeful camera work, helps define the visual narrative of the film. The film is bleak, but the cinematography cuts deep into the gloomy subject matter, bringing out its abstract beauty. It really is a good film on a technical level and the performances are good, but bringing in my personal feelings, it wasn’t an easy watch. It’s hard to know what’s happening for a lot of it.
I’m really happy I watched it, but I don’t think I’ll ever revisit it.
Review by Olwethu ★★★★

a beautiful and dark story depicting the dangerous ways in which the link between patriarchy & tradition in communities can effect those communitites and how those most effected are usually the marginalised or outcasted.
gorgeous cinematography; great writing; a flawless and arresting performance from Maggie Mulubwa as young Shula. I loved the final scenes which were so tragic and poignant.
I'm so happy this was written and directed by a young black woman and i cannot wait to see more from Rungano Nyoni.
Review by Aaron Hendrix ★★★★

You are now becoming civil witches.
I Am Not a Witch's impeccable composition and brilliantly sparse soundtrack help the film maintain its delicate balance between tragedy and comedy, though it certainly opts for the former toward the end.
Definitely worth a watch.
Review by Trevor Wang ★★★★

Check out my Black Panthers, British Film, and Comedy lists!
In a remote village, a little girl (Margaret Mulubwa) is accused of being a witch in contemporary Zambia, where tradition collides with technology in the spellbinding, bone-dry satire of I Am Not A Witch.
In the opening scene, striking imagery captures the tourists and the witches on exhibit, contrasted by the vibrant classical music of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. The silent gaze between the spectators and the spectacles is so intriguing and sharp, accompanied by long white ribbons, fluttering in the breeze. According to the tour guide, these ribbons attached with hooks to the backs of women who are convicted of witchcraft, twirled onto huge spools that they carry with them…
Review by grace b-p ★★★½ 2

The use of Estelle's "American Boy" in this film is one of the most iconic film moments of 2017

Recent reviews

Review by Poisonplarn ★★★★

just do everything you're told and you can be like me
Review by Luis Jorge ★★★½

Una niña a quien a sus nueve años la culpan de ser bruja e inmediatamente le quitan toda su libertad para explotarla y convertirla en un producto. Es una historia triste y las expresiones de la protagonista en ciertas escenas te parten el alma.
Creo que se puede ver como una crítica hacia lo que la gente le hace a las niñas que empiezan desde muy pequeñas a ser modelos o artistas de algún tipo. Muchas veces vemos a Shula con el único deseo de ir a la escuela y hacer amigos y jugar con gente de su edad. Pero no puede porque básicamente está encadenada al estilo de vida que decidieron para ella. Literalmente hay una parte en la…
Review by Kizito Bonna ★★★★★

A film from my country.
Review by Abril ★★★½

Siento que mi cerebro se quedó todavía tratando de descifrar significados.
Review by Bruce Hong ★★★½

Capitalism 🤮 Witch-hunting 🤮
Review by Kevin Johnson ★★★½

At times hilarious but still heartbreaking throughout. Shula is so adorable. People suck.
Review by moloxo ★★★★★

Um pouco embasbacada com esse aqui, me perco em tantas palavras e as sínteses dessas a serem ditas. Gostei como o filme aborda os temas que se propõe de maneira minuciosa mas ainda com humor. É um filme bonito
Review by Harry ★★★½

Sharp and well made.
Review by Margot ★★★★

I Am Not a Witch is a really good first movie dealing with freedom and women's condition in patriarchal societies in Africa.
It is a great mix of absurd situations with a bit of comedy and a lots of unreal horrifying moments.
Review by Lisa Fremont ★★★½

What a strange and wonderful directorial debut from Rungano Nyoni. I'm definitely keeping my eyes peeled for whatever she does next.
This coming-of-age comedy/drama is a blistering satire about capitalism and misogyny that misses a few beats, but overall I found it confident and thought-provoking. Nyoni and cinematographer David Gallego (who coincidentally also filmed the gorgeous Birds of Passage, which I saw recently), use the rich Zambian setting to their advantage, turning in some really unique shots and sequences I'll remember for quite some time. I wasn't sure how I felt about that depressing ending, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense and the more optimistic it is.
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March Around the World (2021) - Zambia
Review by MouseDroid

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

Both sharp and smart; a film not just about how the cry of "witch!" is wielded as a weapon against women, but also about the way stories can free or trap us, and how it is our own collective complicity that gives any story that power.
To be quite honest, I hated the end. I totally get it, I just - no more dead witches, and no more dead women, and especially no more dead little girls. Can we all just do that? Free ourselves from these stories BEFORE they kill little girls? It seems so little to ask, and yet...
Watched for the March Around the World 2021.
Review by Chaotenkopp ★★★½

Hard to describe as this movie just lives off its extremely unique, compelling, depressing but also strangely comedic vibe.