Four years ago, when the comic book adaptation “Black Panther” became one of the most successful cinema films in history, one of the most exciting details was the bodyguard of the royal title hero.

The Dora Milaje - strong black women who were responsible for the safety of the ruler and also accompanied him on further "Avengers" adventures - seemed like the perfect embodiment of the Afrofuturism that made the fictional world of Wakanda an event.

What hardly anyone knew, however, was that this army of female armed forces was not a utopian scenario, but rather a direct reference to a very real past.

There really was an army like the Dora Milaje: from the 17th

From the 19th century, women in the Kingdom of Dahomey, present-day Benin, were employed as hunters and bodyguards, later also as actual military units.

The Agojie, as the "Dahomey Amazons" were called in the local language, achieved important successes for the independence of the West African country for King Ghezo in the first half of the 19th century.

Now, for the first time, an entire feature film is dedicated to them with “The Woman King” – it will hit the cinemas on October 13th.

A film like no other

The fact that the extraordinary story of Agojie is now being told on the screen is not due to the success of "Black Panther", but goes back to an idea by actress Maria Bello.

It was on a trip to Benin that she first heard about the female warriors.

And when, shortly after her return to Los Angeles in 2015, she had to give a eulogy for her colleague Viola Davis for the National Women's History Museum, she reported on her discovery on the public stage.

"Viola, you are also such a fearless fighter," she celebrated her friend.

"Wouldn't it be fantastic to see you in a role like that?" The audience responded enthusiastically - and the idea for the film was born.

"The Woman King", directed by director Gina Prince-Bythewood, is not like any other film, especially not for Viola Davis, who has since become a world star with the series "How to Get Away With Murder" and for "Fences" won an Oscar.

The very first scene evokes the feeling in the audience that they may not have seen anything comparable before.

Some men of the Mahi tribe are sitting around a campfire on the outskirts of their village at night when a noise startles them.

But it is not a predator that then rises majestically from the steppes and against the dark night sky, but Viola Davis as General Nanisca, with oily skin and armed with a heavy machete.

She has dozens of other warriors in tow who, while roaring war, free the captives of the mahi and finish off the opponents.

“I didn't actually know anything about the Dahomey Amazons before Maria's reports.

And instead of fearless, I would often describe myself as a pretty tired fighter," says Viola Davis - lipstick to match the bright fuchsia pants suit - during an interview at a West Hollywood hotel in the summer.

It goes without saying that she wanted to realize this unusual project not only as the leading actress, but also as the producer of the company JuVee Productions, which she runs together with her husband Julius Tennon.