Content Warning: This article contains discussions of physical abuse and sexual violence.
Women Talking was one of the most critically acclaimed drama films of 2022. Directed by Sarah Polley (known for the films Stories We Tell and Take This Waltz), the film is adapted from the 2018 novel by Miriam Toews. Women Talking has been nominated for the 2023 Academy Award for Best Picture and the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Sarah Polley.
The movie has a notable ensemble cast of acclaimed, primarily female actors. These include three-time Academy Award winner s McDormand, Academy Award Nominees Jessie Buckley and Rooney Mara, as well as Emmy Winner Claire Foy. The film follows a community of women from the real-life Mennonite community in Manitoba Colony, Bolivia. Women Talking had a limited theatrical release in December 2022. Now, the film is available in theaters as part of a wider, international release in the run-up to the Academy Awards. The movie is also going to debut on streaming in the coming weeks.
Where Can I Watch Women Talking?
Women Talking was initially shown in theaters as part of a limited release during the 2022 Christmas season. Now, it is available to watch in theaters nationwide as part of a wider release that began on January 20th, 2023. This is to ensure moviegoers interested in seeing the Best Picture nominees ahead of the Academy Awards can see the film. As of early February 2023, Women Talking is not available on any streaming services. This includes free streaming, as well as watching the movie at home via purchase or rental. However, this will likely change soon, as the wider theatrical release draws to a close and the movie becomes released across more countries.
It is important to note that Women Talking was produced and distributed by Orion Pictures. Orion Pictures is owned by Amazon through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios. This means that, most likely, Women Talking will be available to stream on Prime Video - if not to buy or rent, in the coming weeks. In the meantime, those interested can grab a hip to Prime Video in order to get access to this movie, should it be released there, and so much more.
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Is Women Talking Based On A True Story?
The short answer is yes - Women Talking is based on a true story. The longer answer is that it is inspired by true events, using fictional characters as a stand-in for real names or persons used in the film. The events that unfold in the film's plot attempt to reflect the real-life events of women from the Manitoba Mennonite Colony in Bolivia.
Women Talking is based on the novel of the same name by Miriam Toews. Toews was raised in the real Manitoba Colony and describes her novel as "an imagined response to real events" that occurred in the colony between 2005 and 2009. Toews used unnamed Mennonite sources as the basis for her novel (via Publisher's Weekly).
What Is The Movie Women Talking About?
Women Talking follows a group of women that are part of the ultra-conservative Mennonite Christian denomination, that live in isolation and seclusion in Manitoba Colony in Bolivia. The women of the colony get together and realize through their discussions that they all share hazy, indistinct memories of being raped while unconscious. It is soon revealed that the women all have injuries on their bodies that are consistent with rape and confirm their suspicions.
The validation of these memories encourages the women to form a community pact to protect themselves and their children. The men that attacked the women are initially arrested, but are later bailed out by their fellow colonists and will soon return to their reinstated places in the colony. Through discussions, the women of Manitoba Colony gather to decide if they should fight the patriarchal structure of the colony, flee, or do nothing at all.
