Synopsis
Komona (Rachel Mwanza) is only 12 years old when she is kidnapped by rebel soldiers and enslaved to a life of guerrilla warfare in the African jungle. Forced to commit unspeakable acts of brutality, she finds hope for survival in protective, ghost-like visions (inspiring a rebel chief to anoint her "War Witch"), and in a tender relationship with a fellow soldier named Magician (Serge Kanyinda). Together, they manage to escape the rebels' clutches, and a normal life finally seems within reach. But after their freedom proves short-lived, Komona realizes she must find a way to bury the ghosts of her past.
Film Information
Cast & Credits
Director: Kim Nguyen
Screenwriter: Kim Nguyen
Producer: Pierre Even, Marie-Claude Poulin
Editor: Richard Comeau
Director of Photography: Nicolas Bolduc
Production Designer: Emmanuel Frechette
Co-Producer: Kim Nguyen
Primary Cast: Rachel Mwanza, Alain Bastien, Serge Kanyianda, Ralph Prosper, Mizinga Mwinga
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Now playing in select theaters:
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Ft. Lauderdale, FL: Cinema Paradiso – April 5, 7, 11
Hunter, NY: Mountain Cinema – April 5-7
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Denver, CO: SIE FilmCenter – NOW PLAYING
Honolulu, HI: Hawaii International Film Festival Spring Showcase – April 5 ONLY
Pittsburgh, PA: Pittsburgh Filmmakers – NOW PLAYING
Baton Rouge, LA: Manship Theatre – April 6-7
Memphis, TN: Memphis Brooks Museum of Art – April 7 ONLY
Naples, FL: Silverspot – April 8-11
Boulder, CO: International Film Series at CU-Boulder – April 10 ONLY
Flagstaff, AZ: Harkins Flagstaff 11 – April 10 ONLY
Brunswick, ME: Frontier Café – opens April 10
Salem, OR: Salem Cinema – opens April 12
Little Rock, AR: Market Street Cinema – opens April 12
Rosendale, NY: Rosendale Theater – April 15 & 18
Sedona, AZ: Mary D. Fisher Theatre – April 16-19
Ouray, CO: Wright Opera House – April 19 ONLY
Oakland, CA: New Parkway Theater – April 22 ONLY
Irvington, NY: Irvington Town Hall Theater – April 26 ONLY
Albuquerque, NM: Guild Cinema – April 26-28
Santa Fe, NM: The Screen – opens April 26
Bellingham, WA: Pickford Film Center – April 29 ONLY
Stuart, FL: Lyric Theatre – April 30 ONLY
Tulsa, FL: Circle Cinema – opens May 3
Boulder, CO: Boedecker Theater – opens May 8
Gloucester, MA: Cape Ann Community Cinema – May 15, 17-18
Williamsburg, VA: Kimball Theatre – opens June 7
Detroit, MI: Detroit Institute of Arts – June 14-16
Concord, NH: Red River Theatres – June 18 ONLY
Nyack, NY: Rivertown Film Society – June 26 ONLY
Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art – June 28 ONLY
Reviews and Press
"[A] mesmerizing, cinematic hallucination." – The New York Times
"Feels startlingly real and inherently relevant, a shining, sterling example of cinema at its most powerful and urgent." – New Orleans Times-Picayune
"A moving and emotional powerhouse...War Witch packs a punch." – Movieline
"Stunning. [Rachel Mwanza's] wrenching lead performance...is one of the finest of the year." – The Playlist
"A genre benchmark and a breakout work for writer-director Kim Nguyen...met with nearly universal critical acclaim at its Berlin premiere." – The Hollywood Reporter
"Canadian-based writer-helmer Kim Nguyen...display[s] a maturity, panache and emotional marksmanship that will elevate his reputation several notches. The film continues to haunt long after the end credits roll." – Variety
Needing an Armed Convoy to Make a Film (The New York Times)
'War Witch' alters director's, star's lives (San Francisco Chronicle)
Hot Featurette: Best Foreign Language Film Oscar Nominee 'War Witch' (Deadline)
Inside 'War Witch's' Unexpected Love Story – Amidst Congo Brutality (The Wrap)
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