After her debut in the action movie The Old Guard, Gina Prince-Bythewood was able to bring her long-awaited epic to life with The Woman King. We talked to her about Braveheart, film bugs and combat training.
woman king tells the story of Agojie, an all-female military unit in the Kingdom of Dahomey in the 19th century. A part of human history that has been largely ignored until now. But thanks to director Gina Prince-Bythewood and star Viola Davis, we can now get to know more about this glamorous group of women on the big screen from October 6, 2022.
We met Gina Prince-Bythewood at the world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.
What attracted you to the project?
Of course, a chance to make a film that was not there before. The history of this culture and these women is either buried or ignored. Now getting their attention and showing the humanity of these women was a huge gift. We could just make a movie about bad asses doing cool stuff. But we wanted to tell the story of Agoja properly, with all their strengths and weaknesses.
Was that a huge pressure on you?
Absolutely. I have long wanted to make such an epic film. brave heart is one of my favorite films. when i got the script woman king received, I saw it as an opportunity brave heart turn. Filming a movie like this with a predominantly black cast has never happened before in Hollywood. Now, when I look at the finished film, I see a miracle.
If we just got it from brave heart have: One of the most famous movie bugs is the white car you briefly see in the fight scene. How did you make sure that nothing like this happens with woman king happened?
(laughs) It’s funny that you brought this topic up. We’ve spent the last three weeks working on the effects, as well as drawing attention to these kinds of movie bugs. Two days before we were supposed to finish the movie, we spotted a car in the frame far in the background! Luckily, we could remove it with effects.
What impressed or surprised you the most while exploring Agotse?
I was amazed that they were taught not to feel pain. Imagine that you are striking an opponent who does not show it, but continues to fight. To show this, there is a spear-calling scene in the film. But I also welcome dance culture to glorify myself and the king as something special.
The actors were allowed to undergo grueling combat training prior to filming. Did you participate?
Yes, for several reasons. As a director, you can’t get sick while filming because otherwise the production will stall. That’s why I strengthened myself physically and mentally with combat training. In addition, combat training was very important for the actors when creating the characters. Each character’s fighting style is also part of their personality. So it was important that I was there. Besides, it would be wrong to just sit back and push your throw to the limit. I would have problems with this. It was also great that I could use some of the best trainers in the industry for free. (laughs)
woman king opens October 6, 2022 in cinemas in German-speaking Switzerland.
Dossier: Interview
Source: Outnow
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.