As the year draws to a conclusion, we can finally look forward to viewing some of the films that will go down in history as some of the finest we’ve ever seen—or the ones that were egregiously underappreciated throughout award season. Women Talking’s early film festival screenings had already indicated that it is a movie to watch, but the recently released official trailer clarifies for all viewers why. The narrative is not at all enjoyable to watch: It centres on a secluded Mennonite village where women were repeatedly assaulted over a period of years, and their very real pleas for assistance were brushed off as “wild” fantasies or the work of spirits and demons.
The worst thing is that this is based on actual incidents, which forces a group of women to discuss how they can defend one another. The moody trailer for Women Talking indicates that the film is, as one might expect, devoid of colour and that the secluded setting that enabled the crimes and cruelty the women were subjected to was also revealed. The ladies clasp hands after choosing to speak up, defend one another, and take action if required in what is undoubtedly one of the film’s most striking shots. Sarah Polley, an actor and filmmaker, is the director of the sequel to her critically acclaimed documentary Stories We Tell, Women Talking, which was published ten years ago.
Known for directing films with intricate plots, Polley has previously helmed Take This Waltz and the Academy Award-nominated Away From Her. The screenwriter, who also acts as the director, adapted the plot from the bestselling book of the same name by Mennonite novelist Miriam Toews. Frances McDormand (Nomadland), Rooney Mara (Nightmare Alley), Claire Foy (The Crown), Jessie Buckley (The Lost Daughter), Judith Ivey (Flags of Our Fathers), Michelle McLeod (Don’t Talk to Irene), and Ben Whishaw are among the illustrious cast members of Women Talking (No Time to Die). Ross Bonaime, who hailed the group as “one of the greatest ensemble casts of the year,” singled out Foy’s performance as being particularly cathartic. The debut of Women Talking is scheduled for December. A precise date has not yet been disclosed.