The guinea fowl is a ubiquitous, henlike bird native to Africa, where it’s known for traveling in flocks and raising a noisy alarm when predators are nearby. In Rungano Nyoni’s scalding Cannes prizewinner “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl,

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” makes a valid argument for speaking ill of the dead, especially if it bucks this respectful tradition by revealing the harm they caused while living. In this case, we’re speaking of Uncle Fred,

Rungano Nyoni’s “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” is not only a stunning piece of art, but a stirring, scathing call to break the culture of silence, to take on the voice of the small but mighty guinea fowl in our own right. “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” received a limited release March 7 and will be on a continuous release rollout via A24.

“On Becoming a Guinea Fowl,” an A24 release in theaters Friday, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for “thematic material, sexual abuse, suggestive references and some drug use.” Running time: 95 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four.

Delicate but fierce, “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” is the second feature from the Zambian-born, Welsh-raised writer-director Rungano Nyoni. As both participant and observer, like its protagonist, the film contends with many shades of anguish,