The Woman King: Lashana Lynch Talks Power Dynamics As A Black Woman
The Woman King has taken the box office by storm after premiering on Sept. 16 and actress Lashana Lynch, who co-stars in the film alongside Viola Davis, is peeling back one of the themes in the film — power.
In a conversation with BET.com, Lynch who plays Izogie in the Gina Prince-Bythewood directed movie, that stars dark skin Black women who are a part of Agojie, the all-female warrior unit that protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey during the 17th to 19th centuries. The Woman King also stars Thuso Mbedu and Sheila Atim, with Davis playing Nanisca, a general who trains the next generation of warriors.
During one scene in the film, Lynch speaks to Mbedu’s character, Nawi, and says “you are powerful don't give your power away,” for Lynch she took a moment to recall a time she had to give her power away.
“I feel like as a Black woman we’re always forced to have to make that decision, whether we're going to do it when we're not how we're going to do it, how it exposes us, how we have to live by our truth but also maintain a level of playing ball that doesn't come naturally to someone like me because you want to push against and to really fight for yourself,” Lynch explains.
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Adding, “I think this industry really throws up things that allows you to see yourself and to view yourself in the way that you need and to stand by that. This film has and this character has held up a mirror to myself and forced me to have to really have that discussion with me, the whole me. What I want it to look like, how I want the world to view me, how I want the world to view Black women and really take on that responsibility willingly and not see it as a burden.”
With The Woman King coming in at #1 at the box office during its opening weekend, the action film has received rave reviews for the story loosely based on the powerful women from the West African kingdom.
The Woman King is exclusively in movie theaters now!
