On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

British comedy drama film

  • Ed Guiney
  • Andrew Lowe
CinematographyDavid GallegoEdited byNathan NugentMusic byLucrecia Dalt
Production
companies
  • Element Pictures
  • BBC Film
  • Fremantle
  • A24
Distributed by
  • A24 (United States)
Release dates
  • May 16, 2024 (2024-05-16) (Cannes)
  • December 13, 2024 (2024-12-13) (United States)
Running time
95 minutesCountriesIreland
United Kingdom
United States
ZambiaLanguageEnglish

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl is a 2024 comedy drama film written and directed by Rungano Nyoni.

The film competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on 16 May 2024. It is scheduled to be released in the United States on December 13, 2024, by A24.

Premise

On an empty road in the middle of the night, Shula stumbles across the body of her uncle. As funeral proceedings begin around them, she and her cousins bring to light the buried secrets of their middle-class Zambian family.[1]

Cast

  • Elizabeth Chisela as Nsansa
  • Henry B.J. Phiri as Dad
  • Susan Chardy as Shula

Production

The film is written & directed by Rungano Nyoni and developed by BBC Film and Element Pictures.[2][3] Financing came from A24 alongside BBC Film and Fremantle.[4] David Gallego is the cinematographer on the project, and Malin Lindholm is the production designer. Producers include Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe for Element Pictures. Production was reported to have begun in October 2022.[5]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section on May 16, 2024.[6][7][8] It will also screen at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival on September 5, 2024,[9][10] 2024 New York Film Festival on October 3, 2024,[11][12] and the BFI London Film Festival.[13] It is scheduled to be released in the United States on December 13, 2024.[14]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 26 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.7/10.[15] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 80 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[16]

Accolades

Award Ceremony date Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Cannes Film Festival 24 May 2024 Un Certain Regard Rungano Nyoni Nominated
Un Certain Regard – Best Director[a] Won [17]

Notes

  1. ^ Shared with Roberto Minervini for The Damned.

References

  1. ^ "ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL". Festival de Cannes. Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  2. ^ "BBC Film celebrates four films in official selection at Cannes Film Festival 2024". BBC News. April 11, 2024. Archived from the original on April 11, 2024. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  3. ^ "Irish films to have "strong presence" at 2024 Cannes Film Festival". IrishCentral. April 12, 2024. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  4. ^ Ritman, Alex (April 11, 2024). "A24 Boards Rungano Nyoni's Cannes Entry 'On Becoming a Guinea Fowl' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on April 13, 2024. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  5. ^ Lavallee, Eric (January 11, 2023). "Top 200 Most Anticipated Foreign Films of 2023: #121. Rungano Nyoni's On Becoming a Guinea Fowl". Ioncinema. Archived from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  6. ^ "The films of the Official Selection 2024". Festival de Cannes. April 11, 2024. Archived from the original on April 11, 2024. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  7. ^ "ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL BY RUNGANO NYONI, IN UN CERTAIN REGARD SELECTION AT THE CANNES FESTIVAL 2024". Sortiraparis.com. April 11, 2024. Archived from the original on April 11, 2024. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  8. ^ "The Screenings Guide of the 77th Festival de Cannes". Festival de Cannes. May 8, 2024. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  9. ^ "On Becoming a Guinea Fowl". Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  10. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 22, 2024). "TIFF Galas & Special Presentations Lineup Includes World Premieres From Angelina Jolie, Mike Leigh, Gia Coppola; Starry Pics With Jennifer Lopez, Lily James, Dave Bautista; Int'l Premieres 'Conclave' & 'Piece By Piece', More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  11. ^ "On Becoming a Guinea Fowl". New York Film Festival. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  12. ^ Lewis, Hilary (August 6, 2024). "NY Film Festival Main Slate Includes Cannes Winners 'Anora' and 'Seed of the Sacred Fig'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  13. ^ "Competition films announced for 68th BFI London Film Festival". British Film Institute. August 29, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  14. ^ "On Becoming a Guinea Fowl" (PDF). A24 Publicity. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  15. ^ "On Becoming a Guinea Fowl". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  16. ^ "On Becoming a Guinea Fowl". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  17. ^ Lodge, Guy (May 24, 2023). "Cannes Film Festival: 'Black Dog' Wins Un Certain Regard Award". Variety. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  • On Becoming a Guinea Fowl at IMDb