How 'The Woman King' makes Hollywood history with an incredible true story
One of the most pronounced effects of Marvel's "Black Panther" was that it allowed a race of people who've long been underserved by Hollywood to envision an alternative history not rooted in victimhood.
In Wakanda, Black audiences were able to imagine an African nation that had triumphed over colonialism. And through the Dora Milaje — the elite team of female warriors who defended the fictional kingdom — moviegoers met an army of powerful women holding their own against men.
In fact, the Dora Milaje were modeled after the Agojie warrior women (also known as the Dahomey Amazons), who defended the western African kingdom of Dahomey (modern-day Benin) in the 1800s and were the dominant military force in the society. Now, the Agojie are the subject of a new film, "The Woman King," directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood from a story by actor Maria Bello and screenwriter Dana Stevens.
By 1823, the kingdom of Dahomey was under the thumb of the Western-influenced, richer Oyo empire. It was forced to pay tribute in the form of virgins, guns and captives to be sold into slavery to European colonizers.
"You had this sort of David and Goliath situation where the slightly smaller nation decided to beat back on this," said Cathy Schulman, a producer on the film. "And
