‘We wanted to change the narrative’ -Thuso on ‘The Woman King’

Following the premiere of The Woman King, Thuso Mbedu and John Boyega fuelled the rumours of their relationship but they still have not confirmed their relationship.

Speaking to Drum about the cast of the movie, Thuso said she loves them because they are brilliant and intelligent.

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‘WE QUESTIONED THINGS – THUSO

“…they really didn’t let stereotypes dictate where the film was going to go. We would question things, and say when we didn’t want something to happen; we didn’t want to perpetuate a negative narrative about Africa.

“When we looked back at research, they would often say that the Dahomey Amazons were barbaric, savage-like and all the things you’d expect from a colonial lens. We wanted people to see humans, which is something that has been stripped from the black experience as a whole,” said Thuso.

According to Drum the film follows Nanisca, who is played by US actress Viola Davis, as she leads the next generation of warriors against forces that want to steal and destroy their way of life.

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SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THUSO AND NAWI

Thuso opened up to Drum about the similarities she has with the character she plays in the movie, Nawi.

She said Nawi is fiercely independent, spirited and rebellious.

“I say rebellious because I think that’s exactly what she needed to be to get results. What I love most about her is how DIY she is. Even with her costuming, I worked closely with the stylist, like, at first her wrap-around was below her knees.

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it almost felt impractical for her because Nawi climbs trees to collect fruit and is incredibly active. We see her talent in the big battle scene where she uses her rope to create a weapon and fight.

The actress says Nawi has got an amazing journey as she goes through her own battles with naïvety and comes out on the other side stronger and more mature. She says this is something that she can relate to.

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