The Woman King premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2022. Since then, it has received a warm welcome by audiences around the world. The film is patently a masterpiece of historical epic fiction, sparking conversations and curiosity about this historical period in West Africa in a way that no other film has so far. Our syllabus is meant to satisfy that curiosity—for those who are interested in the history beyond the fiction.

“No man kin be so strong lak de woman soldiers from de Dahomey.”

Cudjo Lewis

“Beyond this wall is a palace of women.“

Izogie

“Most of the story is fictionalized. It has to be.“

Viola Davis