Somewhere between magic realism, social anthropology, biting satire and dark, laugh out loud humour, 'I am Not a Witch' is the story of a child accused of witchcraft who refuses to defend herself. Depicting her life as it alternates between textbook slavery, bouts of reverence and commercial and political exploitation, director Rungano Nyoni offers a scathing critique of superstition, cultural exoticization and a society so confused between its ancient culture and the hollow aping of the West that it has quite literally turned itself into a farce. Bold cinematography and a wonderfully pastiche soundtrack are the film's biggest strengths, but a somewhat lagging pace towards the end undermines the dramatic impact of the climax. Nevertheless, the daring choice to make the chains that bind us a literal symbol throughout the film brings our own collusion with various systems of oppression so starkly into focus that there is no looking away.
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Language: Nyanja/Bemba/Tonga/English
Runtime: 1h 33min
Year of release: 2017
Streaming Platform: N/A
Hot take is a series in which I offer my first impressions of films from India and around the world.
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