Ever since the preview of The Woman King made its rounds on the internet earlier this year, leaving us in awe, we have been impatiently waiting for the film to make it to theaters. Well, the time has come, and we are honored we had the chance to preview the remarkable depiction of one of the most powerful states in Africa, Dahomey.

Not only is it inspired by true events, but the story is surrounded by Black women. From being directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood to Oscar®-winner Viola Davis serving as a producer and star of the film, the proclamation, “We fight or we die,” has never been more true as we fight for all of our stories to be told. The motion picture follows the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s.

Using unyielding fierceness, General Nanisca, brought to life by Viola Davis, is at the core of the tale as she trains up the next generation of warriors to protect the kingdom from enemies seen and unseen. Overflowing with empowering themes of sisterhood, affirmations, and action, we rate the film three snaps and a fist in the air.

The Woman King Cast Shares Their Daily Affirmationswww.youtube.com

Lucky for us, we got to sit down with the cast to dive deeper into this beautiful vision of Black storytelling. In an exclusive interview with Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, and John Boyega, we talk about why we must protect Black women, how they speak affirmations and their definition of sisterhood.

John Boyega Talks Black Women, The Woman King & Empowermentwww.youtube.com

The Woman King is in theaters now.

Featured image by Santiago Felipe/Getty Images for SiriusXM