During the Covid pandemic, Dr. Hope Russell, adjunct professor in Niagara University’s women's studies program, saw a poster for Rungano Nyoni’s film, “I Am Not a Witch.” Intrigued by the colors, the bold words of the film's title, and the unreadable face of a little Black girl staring off into the distance, Dr. Russell watched the movie and immediately wanted to learn more about it.
“I had so many thoughts and questions about the film, particularly its ending,” she said. "I read a lot about it online. I still had questions, though.”
Dr. Russell began teaching about the film in her spring Fairytale and Fantasy course and, motivated by questions that remained unanswered, looked for research opportunities.
Two years later, her chapter, “A Zambian Fairytale: Shula and the Magic of Rungano Nyoni’s ‘I Am Not A Witch’” was published in the book, “Supernatural Youth in Media.”
In her chapter, Dr. Russell examines the 2017 film as a critique of misogyny, forced labor, witch-hunting, and neocolonial tourism through the story of Shula, a nine-year-old girl falsely accused of witchcraft in a remote African village. Situating the film within African cinema and postcolonial discourse, the chapter explores how Nyoni employs African belief systems, storytelling conventions, and supernaturalism to challenge Western interpretations of the film. By analyzing Nyoni’s blending of African and Western fairytale tropes, the chapter reveals how cultural differences shape audience perceptions, ultimately positioning “I Am Not a Witch” as a Zambian fairytale that resists Western narrative expectations, she said.
“Supernatural Youth in Media,” will be available in Niagara’s library.