To mark Dark History Month, Netflix will air Queen of Africa: Njinga on February 15, 2023 at 3 a.m. ET. The four-part documentary series, focusing on Africa’s famous warrior queens, will be narrated by Jada Pinkett Smith, who will also serve as executive producer.
According to the synopsis for Queen of Africa: Njinga,
“A new documentary series depicting the lives of famous and legendary African queens produced by Jada Pinkett Smith. Njinga, the intricate, scheming and daring warrior queen of 17th century Ndonga and Matamba in Angola today, will be the focus of the first season.”
It continued:
“As the country’s first female monarch, Njinga is known for combining political and diplomatic acumen with military might, and as a symbol of resistance.”
Queen of Africa: Njinga, a four-part documentary, will be narrated by Jada Pinkett Smith.
Jada Pinkett Smith will step into the realm of famous African female warriors in the new Netflix documentary series, Queen of Africa: Njinga. The first season of the series, which premiered on the streaming site on February 15, will revolve around Queen Ngjinga. Queen of Africa will tell the story of Njinga, an evil warrior queen who ruled Ndonga and Matamba in Angola in the 17th century. As the country’s first female monarch, Njinga is known for her strength. military strength as well as political and diplomatic skills. The four-part documentary will cover the incredible hardships of Queen Njinga.
Pinkett Smith can be heard in the trailer:
“Born in the dark ages – a warrior, a queen, destined to rule. She fought fiercely for her kingdom against European power…slaves at risk. destroy the continent. He rose to become a beacon for his people.”
Jada Pinkett Smith discusses representation regarding African queens: Njinga.
In an interview with The Citizen, Pinkett Smith discussed her experience with the play and expressed her desire to “stick to historical facts.”
She stated:
“The challenge with storytelling is that sometimes you want to use creative license and expand on the concepts a bit, but I really wanted to stick to the reality of each individual. I just think it’s necessary, especially since these aren’t famous stories.”
The 51-year-old added:
“There’s a lot of historical material about all of the Queens of England, so if you want to expand their story in crafting one, the purity of their lives is within our grasp. That’s not true of black African queens.”
Smith expressed a desire to “represent black women” and noted that audiences often don’t have the opportunity to “see or hear stories about black queens.” She stressed the need for presentation, especially so that “the community is aware of these experiences”. Along with Smith, Miguel Melendez, Terence Carter, Jane Root, Maxine Watson, Ben Goold and Sahara Bushue of Westbrook Studios are executive producers. The series is written by Seasons of Love’s Nnene Iwuji and Peres Owino.
Categories: Entertaintment
Source: HIS Education