On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl was a movie watched in December last year. It’s a story which begins with the body of Shula's uncle Fred found by Shula, who is a girl from a middle-class family (living in a big house, having her own Benz car as well as international social connections), bringing about the issues of unfair male-dominated societies and traditions in Zambia.

Shula doesn't feel sad about the death of uncle Fred most likely because she was hurt when she played games with him during her childhood, according to what her cousin Nsansa says in the movie. Her sister and cousin were sexually abused by uncle Fred. While it's not so explicit if Shula was also the same victim (even though she denied when her father asked), she was hurt and thus she didn't look at her uncle anymore.

She numbs, and her memory of a programme about guinea fowls she watched during her childhood is also not perfect but impressive even after she grew up. That guinea fowls are useful creatures especially when they witness dangers they will speak up together to watch out.

Becoming a guinea fowl is not always easy. First some facts are hidden and overlooked due to various reasons like so-called "protecting families" (that's why Shula's sister Bepu chose to keep secret until she committed suicide), so-called "moving on" (when her father wondered why they confronted to the corpse) and so-called "family responsibilities" (uncle Fred's widow were unable to prevent her husband from death). Even though we are willing to uncover more facts, we can be challenged.

Maybe the movie is about feminism but it's all about justice and fairness. Maybe it's about Zambia but it's what all over the world is still happening. It's not because people are poor or conservative. Even though Shula is rich enough and able to connect the world, she is still struggling while trying to learn to speak out.

Sadly, we are talking too much about positivity and psychology while ignoring justice and fairness. They shouldn't be contradicting to each other. It doesn't make sense if we ask victims who have been raped to move on. It's too demanding and not respectful. Societies become better because people keep speaking out like guinea fowls. If things can't change, at least they can be protected.