Black Girl Film Club Episode 129: On Becoming A Guinea Fowl (2025)
Feb 6, 2026
A discussion of Rungano Nyoni's On Becoming A Guinea Fowl, centering on a funeral that exposes family secrets and enforced silence. They explore grief as performance and how women sometimes protect abusive men. Conversations highlight cultural context of diasporic family gatherings and the costs of preserving reputation over truth.
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Episode notes
Director's Personal Stakes
- Rungano Neoni shaped On Becoming A Guinea Fowl from her own funeral experiences in Zambia.
- She intended the film to probe the conspiracy of silence around abuse and provoke bittersweet reflection.
Funerals For The Living
- Neoni frames Zambian funerals as spaces for the living to convene and gossip.
- That setting lets the film expose how communal rituals can hide abuse rather than heal it.
Prepare For Heavy Content
- If you're sensitive to trauma, skip this film or prepare emotionally before watching.
- Give yourself permission to step away if the subject matter becomes overwhelming.
