The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2024 - Issue 36

bitefilmreview On Becoming a Guinea Fowl , directed by Rungano Nyoni, strongly represented African cinema. This Zambia-UK-Ire- land co-production marks the film director’s return after her BAFTA-winning film I Am Not a Witch . The film addresses issues of tradition, trauma, and survival within a Zambian family, blending elements of surrealism and humour. Nyo- ni’s voice continues to be one of the most distinctive in Afri- can cinema, and On Becoming a Guinea Fowl is expected to leave a lasting impact on viewers. Laila Abbas presented Thank You for Banking with Us, a sa- tirical take on Islamic inheritance laws. Set in Palestine, the film follows two sisters navigating a patriarchal system to secure their father’s inheritance before their distant broth- er claims it. Abbas combines humour with social critique deftly, offering a timely story of gender politics and familial bonds. The Wolves Always Come at Night is a hybrid documen- tary directed by Gabrielle Brady. It explores the lives of a rural Mongolian family grappling with the effects of cli- mate change. With a compassionate and visually stunning approach, Brady continues her exploration of humanity’s connection to nature, building on her previous work, Island of the Hungry Ghosts. Damian Kocur’s Under the Volcano offered a haunting por- trayal of a Ukrainian family displaced by the sudden out- break of war. Set against the backdrop of Tenerife’s volca- noes, the film masterfully weaves political upheaval with Thank You for Banking with Us On Becoming a Guinea Fowl