Viola Davis proud to defend the first blockbuster worn by black actresses

It’s a baptism of fire for Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis. September 28 will be released in French cinemas The Woman King, a big-budget Hollywood film directed by black women in which the actress plays a major role. The feature film tells the story of female warriors from the kingdom of Dahomey in the 19th century. Fierce fighters who lived in what is now Benin. The actress of Murder will embody one of them, Nanisca, responsible for training the new generation of soldiers to face the rival kingdoms and Western slavery networks.

With its colossal budget of 100 million dollars, a cast mainly made up of black actresses and an African-American director (Gina Prince-Bythewood), The Woman King acts as the leader. Viola Davis spent six years campaigning with producers and directors to convince them to bet on the project. The feature film will have to find a place in the fierce world of American blockbusters, a predominantly male environment carried by white actors. A pressure that the actresses of the film do not hide. “Above all, the film must bring in money. And I am divided vis-à-vis that (…) If it does not bring in money, what does that mean? That black women, dark-skinned women can’t top the global box office?“, explains Viola Davis to AFP.

But the actress believes that the film will be scrutinized more than feature films with Caucasian teams and invites the public to be there in dark rooms. “If you can spend your money to see Avatar or Titanic, you can spend your money to go see The Woman King “And if we are truly equal, then I challenge you to prove it.”, launched the actress to AFP. The film previewed at the Toronto Film Festival received rave reviews, however Viola Davis regrets that the fight scenes received misogynistic remarks, with warriors deemed too “masculine“and not enough”pretty”.

“The Woman King”, September 28 at the cinema.