Black Hollywood: “The Woman King”
**Events may have been canceled or postponed. Please contact the venue to confirm the event.
Date & Time
Tue, Feb 28 7:00 PM - 10:30 PM
Address (map)
UCSB
Venue (website)
Pollock Theater
Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, The Woman King (2022) is a historical action-epic that chronicles the conflicts of the West African Kingdom of Dahomey amidst the brutal African slave trade in the 1800s. Viola Davis stars as General Nanisca, a fierce and powerful leader who trains the Agojie, an elite, all-female unit of warriors tasked with protecting Dahomey and liberating those abducted by slavers from the rival Oyo Empire. Prince-Bythewood and production designer Akin McKenzie vividly realize this overlooked chapter of history through extensive research from out-of-print books, photos, and other archival materials to disentangle complex historical events from colonial revisionism. With large-scale battle sequences and a robust supporting cast including Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, and John Boyega, The Woman King allows this unsung history of female warriors to roar to life on a blockbuster scale.
Production designer Akin McKenzie will join moderator Mireille Miller-Young (Feminist Studies, UCSB) for a post-screening discussion of his work in creating the visual style of The Woman King.
