The Woman King, a recently released film, has drawn criticism on social media for what viewers have called its alleged attempts to “whitewash” and “downplay” Africans’ participation in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade in Africa.
The Woman King is a fictionalized account of the Agojie, a group of all-female warriors who, in the 1800s, defended the African Kingdom of Dahomey with fighting prowess akin to that of the Amazons.
The hashtag “BoycottTheWomanKing” has been trending on Twitter more and more recently as calls for boycotting the movie’s release have grown.
The filmmakers have come under fire from many Africans who claim they are trying to “rewrite” the Agojie’s dark history and minimize the role of African slave traders.
However, the film, which stars Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis, has dominated the box office and made over 19 million dollars.
While the film has garnered positive reviews from some viewers, others have voiced their discontent with Sony and filmmaker Gina Prince-handling Bythewood’s of the production.
The historical drama was dubbed “the most disrespectful film to Black Americans in 40-50 years” by Twitter user Antonio Moore.
Time to Boycott the Woman King movie. The film is about the Dahomey & Benin that traded slaves into the transatlantic. #BoycottWomanKing — Click Here: https://t.co/lzsubGvs5W — This may be the most offensive film to Black Americans in 40-50 years. pic.twitter.com/PwKmLQCTPP
— Antonio Moore (@tonetalks) September 16, 2022
Another Tweet read,
“If you’re a Black American that cares about your ancestors #BoycottTheWomanKing I don’t know
’s motives for going through with such dishonest and shameful movie but #TheWomanKing
let it flop The Dahomey fought to uphold slavery in Africa, just like the Confederacy”
If you’re a Black American that cares about your ancestors #BoycottTheWomanKing
I don’t know @violadavis’s motives for going through with such dishonest and shameful movie but #TheWomanKing let it flop
The Dahomey fought to uphold slavery in Africa, just like the Confederacy pic.twitter.com/zDSARVcx80
— CAPITAL BLACK (@TBMW8) September 18, 2022
Highly ‘fictionalized’
Lead actress Viola Davies and her husband Julius Tenon claimed in an interview with Variety that the story needed to be dramatized in order to be successful in the film industry.
You won’t win an argument on Twitter, she said, agreeing with [the film’s director] Gina Prince-statement. Bythewood’s
“When we started the story, the kingdom was in transition and at a turning point. They sought a means of preserving their civilisation and monarchy. They weren’t completely wiped out until the late 1800s. The majority of the narrative is made up. There must be.
Tenon observed that many of the viewers of the movie wouldn’t have gone if it hadn’t been produced in a way to entertain the people.
We now provide what is known as “edu-tainment.” Although it is history, we must exercise some freedom. People need to be entertained. We could have easily made a documentary if we had only given a history lesson.
“Unfortunately, audiences wouldn’t be acting in the same manner as we observed this weekend in theaters. We didn’t want to sugarcoat the reality. There are facts in the vast past that have been revealed. People can conduct further research if they want to understand more, he said.
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