Rungano Nyoni

Rungano Nyoni is a Zambian-Welsh director and screenwriter. She is known for the film I Am Not a Witch, which she wrote and directed. The film won Nyoni the BAFTA for Outstanding Debut in 2018 and has also garnered accolades from international film festivals. Her 2009 film, The List, won the Welsh BAFTA Award for Best Short Film.[3]

Rungano Nyoni
Born
Lusaka, Zambia[1]
OccupationDirector[2]
Screenwriter
Producer
Actress
Years active2007–present

Early Life and Education

Nyoni was born in Lusaka, Zambia to Merill Mutale (née Nyoni) and Thomas Nyoni. They chose to name her Rungano, which in the Shona language native to Zimbabwe means “storyteller”. When she was nine years old her family migrated to Wales.

She attended the University of Birmingham, where she received a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Business Studies.[4] After finishing her studies at the University of Birmingham, Nyoni decided to study acting at the University of the Arts London[5] as it had always been her dream to become an actress.[5] During her time there she was drawn to scripting and to work behind the camera, but retained her desire to act. Nyoni went on to complete her master's degree in Drama and in 2009, graduated from Drama Centre London with a master's degree in Acting.[5]

Career

Nyoni has stated that her first influence into film was the Elfriede Jelinek's novel The Piano Teacher, which she had chosen from the library because of the picture on the cover. She has stated that the novel's 2001 film adaptation is one of her favourite films and that she “wanted to be just like Isabelle Huppert" as her performance "had a huge effect on me. I quickly realized that I couldn’t be like Isabelle Huppert because I’m not a very good actor, but I was still curious about the directing. That was a big turning point for me, realizing that if directing is done very well it can have a real effect on people.”[6]

In 2006 Nyoni released her first film Yande (meaning "My Great Happiness" in Bemba), which she wrote and shot on black and white super 8mm film.[7] The film deals with fashion and African women who westernized their appearance and mannerisms in order to conform to an "ideal."[8] She released her next two short films, 20 Questions and The List in 2009; the latter won a BAFTA Cymru Award in 2010.

Her fourth film, Mwansa the Great, was released in 2011 and was selected to screen at over 100 international film festivals. It was well received at the festivals and won over 20 prizes and was nominated for a 2012 BAFTA Award. Nyoni often collaborates with her partner Gabriel Gauchet and in 2012 a film directed by Gauchet and written by Nyoni, The Mass of Men, premiered at the Locarno Film Festival, where it won the Golden Leopard Award. Like Mwansa the Great, the film was selected to be shown at over 100 film festivals and also garnered over 50 prizes. This was followed up by her 2014 short Listen (Kuuntele), which received the Best Short Film Award at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival.[9][10]

In 2017 Nyoni released her first feature-length fiction film,[11]I Am Not a Witch,[12] which was selected to screen at the Directors' Fortnight of Cannes Film Festival 2017.[13][14] This film went on to win Nyoni the awards for Best Director and Best Debut Director at the 20th British Independent Film Awards in 2017.

Filmography

Director / Writer / Producer/ Editor
Year Title Director Writer Producer Editor Notes
2009 20 Questions Short
2010 The List VIdeo Short
2012 Africa First: Volume Two Short film; seg. Mwansa the Great
The Mass of Men Short film
Mwansa the Great Short film
2013 Z1 Short film
2014 Listen Short film
2014 Nordic Factory Movie
2017 I Am Not a Witch Movie

The List (2010)

A group of drama students are fixated on a surprise list as they are preparing for their final showcase.

The Mass of Men (2012)

When Richard, an unemployed man of 55, arrives three minutes late for an appointment at the job-centre, Kate penalizes him for his tardiness. To avoid plunging further into destitution, Richard takes desperate measures.[15]

Mwansa the Great (2012)

The film follows three children: Mwansa, Shula, Tipa. They live in a small village outside of Lusaka, Zambia, with their mother; their father has recently died. The story focuses on the eight-year-old boy who aspires to be a hero embarks upon a journey to prove his greatness, with unexpected consequences to fix his sister's doll.[16]

Z1 (2013)

After years of resentment and distrust in a faltering relationship, Ruth and Guy decide to go forward with their separation, but as their relationship ends their 10-year-old son Max, begins to behave strangely.[17]

Listen/Nordic Factory (2014)

A Muslim woman wearing a burka goes into a police station, and begs the police to help her take action against her abusive husband. As she cannot speak the native language communication begins to break down between the two sides. A translator is brought, but she filters the experience through her own background and sides with the husband.[18]

This film was produced by Nordic Factory, which specializes in stimulating cultural meetings between young filmmakers by giving them an international platform to work and collaborate with others on their early feature projects. Through the Nordic Factory Nyoni and Hamy Ramzen collaborated to create Listen, which was re-released and showcased through Nordic Factories archival collection.[18]

Actress
Year Title Role Notes
2007 The Sarah Jane Adventures Secretary
2011 Secrecy Lucy
2010 Iron Doors

Awards and nominations
Awards and nominations for Rungano Nyoni
Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2017 British Academy Film Awards Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer I Am Not a Witch Won [19]
Adelaide Film Festival International Feature Film Award Won
Foxtel Movies International Award Won
AFI Fest Audience Award Nominated
Africa International Film Festival Best Feature Film Won
Mumbai Film Festival Special Mention Won
British Independent Film Awards Best Director Won
Douglas Hickox Award Won
Best Screenplay Nominated
Best Debut Screenwriter Nominated
Cannes Film Festival Caméra d'Or Nominated
CPH:PIX New Talent Grand PIX Nominated
Independent Spirit Awards Best International Film Nominated
London Critics Circle Film Awards Breakthrough British/Irish Filmmaker of the Year Nominated
London Film Festival First Feature Competition Nominated
Filmfest München Best Film By An Emerging Director Nominated
Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival Best European Fantastic Feature Film Nominated
Stockholm Film Festival Best Directorial Debut Won
Bronze horse: Best Film Nominated
2018 Evening Standard British Film Awards Breakthrough of the Year I Am Not a Witch Won [20]
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References
  1. "About Rungano Nyoni". Retrieved 8 March 2018. born in Lusaka, Zambia and grew up in Wales, UK.
  2. Rungabo Nyoni profile Archived 23 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine mubi.com
  3. Lodderhose, Diana; Lodderhose, Diana (17 May 2017). "'I Am Not A Witch' Helmer Rungano Nyoni Returns To Cannes With Buzzed-About Feature Debut — Cannes Ones To Watch". Deadline. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  4. "Rungano Nyoni". IFFR. 2 September 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  5. Martins, Central Saint (24 July 2018). "Rungano Nyoni". Central Saint Martins. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  6. "Rungano Nyoni: 'I wanted to show Zambian humour and how we deal with tragic events'". Little White Lies. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  7. Nyoni, Rungano (2011). "Mwansa the Great Press Kit" (PDF).
  8. "I Am Not a Witch". Quinzaine des Réalisateurs (in French). Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  9. Barlet, Olivier (19 December 2017). "I am not a Witch (Je ne suis pas une sorcière) de Rungano Nyoni". Africultures (in French). Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  10. Lincoln, Ross A.; Lincoln, Ross A. (24 April 2015). "Tribeca Film Festival Awards: Complete Winners List". Deadline. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  11. "Stars of Tomorrow 2017: Rungano Nyoni (director) | Features | Screen". web.archive.org. 23 February 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  12. "Stars of Tomorrow 2017: Rungano Nyoni (director) | Features | Screen". web.archive.org. 23 February 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  13. staff (23 May 2017). "Zambia : Rungano Nyoni to debut her first feature film, 'I am not a witch', at Cannes Film Festival". LusakaTimes.com. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  14. "Rungano Nyoni, ni Zambienne ni Galloise : cinéaste" (in French). 27 December 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  15. "British Council Film: The Mass of Men". film.britishcouncil.org. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  16. VOURLIAS, CHRISTOPHER (15 November 2018). "U.K. Foreign-Language Contender Faced Difficult Africa Shoot". Variety. 342: 26 – via Ebscohost.
  17. "Z1 - Poster". www.gabrielgauchet.com. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  18. Raskin, Richard (April 2018). "An interview with Rungano Nyoni and Hamy Ramezan on Listen". Short Film Studies. 8: 65–68 – via Ebscohost.
  19. Rungano Nyoni 'outstanding debut' Bafta for I Am Not A Witch Archived 19 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine BBC
  20. Fletcher, Harry (8 February 2018). "Evening Standard British Film Awards 2018: Kristin Scott Thomas crowned". Evening Standard. London.
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