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General Nanisca, played by an imposing Viola Davis, rises slowly out of a bed of tall grass in the dead of night. Behind her, an entire army materializes silently out of the grass, each member poised with a weapon in hand.
When we meet them onscreen, the Agojie—a group of women warriors who fought for the kingdom of Dahomey—are inconspicuous, keeping a low profile. But in 19th century West Africa, at the height of their power, their reputation preceded them: fierce, strong, unparalleled.
The Woman King, the historical epic from Gina Prince-Bythewood out Sept. 16, chronicles the trials and triumphs of the Agojie and Dahomey (a region in present-day Benin). Leonard Wantchekon, a professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University, was also a historical advisor on the film. He’s finishing up a book containing biographies of more than 50 of the Agojie, based on interviews with their descendants and communities.
General Nanisca (Viola Davis) and Izogie (Lashana Lynch) with young Agojie recruits
Ilze Kitshoff—Sony Pictures Entertainment
“I think it’s something which even today would be considered revolutionary,” Wantchekon says of the women warriors. “Because all the training that it took, all the preparation it took, it’s actually something that happened. It’s…
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Source : time
