thuso mbedu

In this episode, Andreina and Gabriela discuss the 2022 filmThe Woman King.
Written by  Dana Stevens and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, The Woman King tells the true story of the Agojie, an all-female warrior force in the Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1830s, in what is present-day Benin.

Starring a formidable Viola Davis as the military general who eventually would become the woman king, the film tells a story of bravery, sacrifice, and female empowerment hidden within the history books during one of the darkest periods in modern times: the transatlantic slave trade.

Andreina and Gabriela discuss the main cast performances, the power of representation, and their efforts to expand their knowledge of the history of women across the globe.

***Spoiler alert! While reviewing this film, we go through key scenes and may reveal the ending, so be warned of spoilers!***

Sources and links:

Interview with cast at TIFF 2022

Interview with Viola Davis and Cast

Thuso Mbedu in “The Daily Show” with Trevor Noah

Lashana Lynch and Thuso Mbedu in Good Morning America

Film review on The New York Times

Warrior Women with Lupita Nyongo

Clear your chanting throat, stretch your dancing muscles and oil up for a grand battle with... a formidable phantom enemy? Whisper sweet nothings through the barrier of forbidden love with The Woman King. 

Website | Rotten Tomatoes | Apple | Youtube | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram

Ain't nothin' in the rulebook says a woman can't be king. That's right, this week we're discussing The Woman King, the latest film from Gina Prince-Bythewood, director of Love and Basketball and The Old Guard. Her latest is an action war epic released through Sony and starring Viola Davis as the seasoned leader of an all-female warrior unit protecting the West African kingdom of Dahomey in 1820. Lashana Lynch plays one of her most gifted fighters, along with Thuso Mbedu as the troublesome upstart who just started her training and John Boyega as their contemplative king. We kick off the show with a brief discussion of Clerks III, and we have to apologize for some audio issues that came up during the recording that we couldn't fully fix.

Show Notes:

• 00:00:00 – Intro and brief thoughts on Clerks III
• 00:19:35 – The Woman King review

Intro Music: “Monte Adentro” by Sam & Mendeville

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