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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline SEPTEMBER 16, 2022 | The Indian Eye 29

Films at TIFF: The Woman King is a story of courage

RENU MEHTA
Toronto

he Woman King has been slat-
ed as one of the top films of
TTIFF and indeed it was. The
film premiered at Roy Thomson Hall
on September 9 with the cast and
crew in full glory and dressed to the
nines.
Oscar winner Viola Davis, the
star of the film, was resplendent in a
pink and orange gown but what was
more captivating were her words de-
livered on behalf of black women.
“Everything you ever wanted is
on the other side of fear,” she says.
“And you know what. I feel like my
entire life I have allowed myself to be
defined by a culture, I have allowed Davis’s character, is of struggle and and a Tony for acting, spoke about ue to say is I want to do for young
myself to be defined by the naysay- liberation and brings to life the the importance of self- worth and black girls what Miss Tyson (actress
ers. I was dropped out of a profes- galvanizing travails of the Agojie, deprivation at the theatre to re- and mentor Cicely Tyson) did for me
sion that is all about deprivation and the all-female military regiment sounding applause. when I was 7 years old.”
so a lot of times you just allow oth- charged with protecting the em- “Everything starts with worth “She came to me through a bro-
er people to define you. And at 56 battled West African Kingdom of and I think there is a continual mes- ken down television set in a dilap-
years old, I have come to the realiza- Dahomey from adversarial neigh- sage in our culture that we are not idated apartment in Central Falls,
tion that I can define myself.” bours, European colonizers, and worthy,” said Davis. “Our numbers Rhode Island and what she delivered
Davis indeed gave a thrilling and the horrors of the slave trade. The surpass anyone else. We are 246 % to me was something that can’t even
believable performance in this epic story dramatizes a turning point in more likely to die giving birth, 75% be quantified in words. That’s what
tale that brings to life the true story world history through spectacular of women who are sex trafficked are I would like to give to young black
of the Agojie, the all-female mili- battle scense and delivers a riveting young black girls. If you are raped girls that you know just when the cat-
tary regiment charged with protect- story of heroism, friendship and the by the age of 18 and you are black, erpillar calls it the end of the world
ing the embattled African Kingdom power of women. you have a 68% chance of it happen- and becomes a butterfly. That’s what
of Dahomey. The year is 1823 and Davis, who is the first Black ing again. There was a sense that we I would give to them. And this movie
all female military regiment, led by woman to win an Oscar, an Emmy, are the left overs and what I contin- is a gift to them.”

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