ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes Vietnamese-Canadian Kim Nguyen’s use of magic in his 2012 movie War Witch/Rebelle. Inspired by the lives of twin brothers from Burma/Myanmar, and shot in and around Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nguyen’s story about child soldier Komona was ten years in the making. He used Rachel Mwanza, an abandoned child on the streets of Kinshasa, as his lead actress, and added magical touches to the story line.
Magic is used in three ways in this movie: to further the plot, when Komona’s voice-over foreshadows events to come; to create horror and mystery, when the ghosts of slaughtered villagers appear; and as symbols of guilt, when Komona’s dead parents appear and stare at her. Komona’s voice-overs describe events that have either just happened or are about to happen, such as the deaths of other children and their parents. Mystery is created when, during combat, the ghosts of dead villagers stare silently at Komona. Past traumas are recalled when Komona’s parents repeatedly appear and stand close by her, during moments of high stress. Overall, magic helps underscore both the vulnerability and resilience of children like Komona, who have been displaced and traumatized by combat.
