‘On Becoming a Guinea Fowl’ Review: African Story Slips Between Fable and Hard Reality

Seven years ago, Zambian-Welsh director Rungano Nyoni made international waves with “I Am Not a Witch,” a mysterious fable that mixed African rituals and folklore with modern-day troubles to tell the story of a young girl accused of witchcraft in a Zambian village. The film premiered in Cannes, won two BAFTA Awards and was the U.K.’s Oscar entry in the international category. It marked Nyoni as a filmmaker to watch.

But she hasn’t made anything to watch since then, which makes “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” an auspicious return both to Cannes, where it’s competing in the Un Certain Regard section, and to the international film market in general.