I don’t know about you, but I refuse to live in a “man’s” world. I also refuse to let the patriarchy seep into every aspect of my life, so when I can control it, I try to engage with content made by/ women or about women. I also think it’s important to break out of the Western Hollywood bubble when it comes to film; engaging with diverse content helps broaden your perspective. In an attempt to persuade you, I will explore the importance of watching films about women (and, moreover, foreign films) by discussing the film “I am Not a Witch” (2017), directed by Rungano Nyoni.
One of the ways I choose to learn is through film. It’s not always about learning hard facts but instead about different sentiments, experiences, and culture. I love learning about the human experience through film, and in a world where the male gaze is so prevalent, I like to learn through the female gaze.
Watching films by and about women of colour allows for narratives that challenge Western patriarchal views. Therefore, it challenges you to open your mind to new ideas, experiences, and maybe even change your mind about things.
Exploring the importance of women-made foreign films through “I Am Not A Witch” (2017)
A great example of a film that completely opened my eyes to women’s experiences in a different culture is the 2017 film “I Am Not a Witch,” directed by Rungano Nyoni.
This beautiful film follows a young girl named Shula living in Zambia, who gets convicted of witchcraft. The film is not a period piece; it in fact takes place in the modern day. Nyoni explores modern-day witch camps that exist in Zambia through the perspective of a young Shula.
This specific story is not entirely based in reality; however, the concept of a witch camp is. In fact, director Nyoni lived in a Ghanaian witch camp for a month in preparation for the film. Ever heard of that? Me neither, another reason to broaden your horizons in film.
Shula (played by Maggie Mulubwa) is accused of witchcraft. The witch doctor tells her that if she does not confess to being a witch, she will become a goat. So, she confesses and is sent to a witch camp that includes a group of elderly women. They are attached by ribbon, and someone controls how much the ribbon gives. They believe the witches can fly, so they keep the community “safe” by keeping them attached by a ribbon. (Hmmm, seems like the ribbon may represent something.
Later, she is brought to stay at Banda’s home with his wife (the official in charge of the witches). Still attached by the ribbon, Banda brings Shula around to perform witchcraft tasks. Because she is a “witch,” they use her “powers” in trials to identify the guilty parties. Banda’s wife reveals to Shula that she too is a witch who was in the witch camp. She shares that she was able to escape the camp by having a respectable marriage; this is the only way to escape.
Eight-year-old Shula finds community with these elderly witches who take care of her. The women, and Shula, are forced to do labor, but Shula starts to get used to more tasks. Eventually, during a drought, A rich man asks Shula to make it rain. She tries to perform a rain dance, but without success. By the end of the film, Shula is emotionally and physically exhausted and upset. She tells the witches she wishes she had turned into a goat instead.
Sometimes It’s so hard being a woman; we’d rather be goats.
The film explores the childhood experience of a girl in Zambia. While not all of this is real, the themes explored in the film are. They explore how women are seen and treated. The ribbon acts as a metaphor for how women are controlled, and the only way to escape is through “respectable marriage”. It also shows how quickly Shula has to grow up. They put the burden of people’s livelihoods on the young girl. This story is a huge contrast to many coming-of-age films in Hollywood about younger girls, even the darker ones (see my post about the film Thirteen Tweenage Wasteland: Thirteen (2003) for an example).
I’ve spoken before about the importance of expanding your watchlist beyond coming-of-age films through the white-femme experience, in my blog post Lady Bird is the Whitewashed Version of Real Women Have Curves where I discussed the contrast between Real Women Have Curves and Lady Bird.
Very often, we are fed similar narratives and experiences, and I in no way want to discount these experiences, but to merely suggest going further and exploring others. If we remain within our small Western bubble, we’re remain ignorant.
“I Am Not a Witch” is a truly spectacular, unique film unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It explores familiar themes through unfamiliar experiences and narratives, and this is exactly why watching films like this is so important.
So I encourage you to broaden your horizons and go watch a film made by a woman; better yet, start with the film I Am Not a Witch; I promise you it’s worth it.
Anatomy of a Doll 