A Tribute to Gina Prince-Bythewood + The Woman King
Guests Expected
Director Gina Prince-Bythewood is expected to attend for a tribute conversation and post screening Q&A
Description
The Woman King is the remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Inspired by true events, The Woman King follows the emotionally epic journey of General Nanisca (Oscar®-winner Viola Davis) as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life. Some things are worth fighting for…
Award-winning director/writer/producer Gina Prince-Bythewood is one of the most versatile storytellers working in film and television. Known for her authentic character-driven work, Prince-Bythewood has directed and written such influential feature films as Love & Basketball, The Secret Life of Bees, and Beyond The Lights, along with directing the critically-acclaimed action drama blockbuster, The Old Guard.
Prince-Bythewood’s most recent feature, The Woman King, stars Oscar®-winner Viola Davis as Nanisca, who leads a remarkable all-female unit of warriors known as the Agojie in the protection of the 19th century African Kingdom of Dahomey with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. The film earned stellar reviews and audience reactions out of its world premiere at TIFF, going on to open in theaters recently with an A+ CinemaScore and at the top of the domestic box office.
This September, rising star actress Thuso Mbedu will be seen as the lead of Sony’s The Woman King opposite Viola Davis. In the historical epic feature directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, Mbedu plays “Nawi,” an ambitious recruit who fights within the all-female military unit lead by “Nanisca” (Davis). The film was shot in Mbedu’s home country of South Africa and also stars John Boyega, Lashana Lynch, and Adrienne Warren.
Mbedu recently won an Independent Spirit Award, Gotham Award and Hollywood Critics Association Award, and was nominated for a Critics Choice Award, for her starring role as “Cora” in Barry Jenkins’ The Underground Railroad, making her the first South African leading woman of a US television series. The limited series is based on Colson Whitehead’s bestselling Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, which the Oscar-winner Jenkins adapted and directed.
Trailer
Film Details
Language English
Year 2022
Runtime 135
Country USA
Director Gina Prince-Bythewood
Executive Producer Peter McAleese
Producer Cathy Schulman, p.g.a., Viola Davis, p.g.a., Julius Tennon, Maria Bello
Writer Dana Stevens (screenplay/story), Maria Bello (story)
Editor Terilyn A. Shropshire, ACE
Cinematographer Polly Morgan, ASC
Music Terence Blanchard
Cast Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, John Boyega, Angélique Kidjo, Sheila Atim
Print Source Sony Pictures
Closed Captions Closed captions are available for this screening.
Audio Description Audio descriptions are available for this screening.
American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation is not currently scheduled for this event. For more information about ASL interpretation at our events, e-mail ADA@SFFilm.org.