Is Women Talking Based on a True Story? Ending Explained
by Hemalatha R | Updated Apr 19, 2023
Is Women Talking Based on a True Story?
Women Talking the movie based on a novel by Miriam Toews is based on a true story that occurred in a Mennonite community in Bolivia. In this community, women and children were drugged and raped, and the perpetrators claimed that the attacks were caused by ghosts and demons. The assaults went on for four years until nine men, between the ages of 19 and 43, were caught in 2009 after a woman woke up during an assault.
The men confessed to using a spray that had been created by a veterinarian from a neighboring Mennonite community to anesthetize cows, in order to incapacitate their victims and any possible witnesses. During the trial in 2011, seven of the eight defendants were found guilty, and there were at least 130 victims, ranging in age from 3 to 65. The film adaptation of the novel portrays the horrors of the assaults while barely showing them on the screen.
Miriam Toews herself was born in a Mennonite community in Canada, but left when she turned 18. She felt an obligation to write down hope for change for Mennonite girls and women, and hopes that the Mennonite patriarchy and the misogyny inherent in fundamentalism that conservative Mennonites preach will one day change.
Toews first heard about the true story that inspired Women Talking through the "Mennonite grapevine," according to the New York Times. In her novel, Toews imagines the Bolivian women as her kin and even gives them her family names. She sets them in a hayloft to debate three options: do nothing, fight, or leave. In reality, the women stayed in their community, but in Toews's fictionalized version, leaving was not an option.
The true story behind Women Talking is a tragic and horrifying one, and the novel and film adaptations serve as a powerful reminder of the atrocities that can occur when patriarchal systems are allowed to go unchecked.
Women Talking Ending Explained
Salome was furious about the way the men in their colony treated women and children. She was determined to fight back, but not all women agreed with her. While some felt the need to forgive, others were afraid to leave the colony because of their religious beliefs. Greta, Mariche's mother, suggested running away, but Salome didn't want to teach her daughter to run away from problems.
Ona dreamed of a society where men and women made decisions together, women had freedom, and girls were educated. However, the women were unsure if they had accused the right men of the crime. The situation became more complicated when Klaas, Mariche's abusive husband, returned to the colony. The women knew they had to leave quickly, and they decided to take young boys with them to teach them the right way to treat women.
With the help of August, they followed a map and left the colony. They wanted to stay true to their faith and not become murderers. They hoped to one day forgive those who wronged them.
Mariche and Autje returned with bruises on their faces the next morning, but they had told Klaas the truth. The women collected their belongings and left the colony. It wasn't easy for Ona to leave August, but she knew it was the only way to ensure a safe future for their child. August was proud of the women for taking control of their rage and making a just decision. They faced the unknown rather than going through the trauma they had once experienced.
Women Talking cast
The below table contains the list of Women Talking cast
Rooney Mara
Ona
Claire Foy
Salome
Jessie Buckley
Mariche
Judith Ivey
Agata
Ben Whishaw
August
Frances McDormand
Scarface Janz
Sheila McCarthy
Greta
Michelle McLeod
Mejal
Kate Hallett
Autje
Liv McNeil
Neitje
August Winter
Melvin
Kira Guloien
Anna
Emily Mitchell
Miep
Nathaniel McParland
Aaron
Eli Ham
Klaas
Name
Characters
Women Talking Plot
The article discusses the plight of women who were raped and sexually assaulted in a colony. The women were silenced for a long time and were made to believe that their discomfort was due to the involvement of Satan and ghosts. It was only when one of the teenage girls caught a man red-handed that the matter came to light. The rapists were sent to the police station, and the men of the colony decided to bail them out.
The women were given two days to forgive the attackers; otherwise, they would be excommunicated and refused entry to Heaven. The women gathered in the barn to discuss their future and voted for the first time in their lives. They had three options: forgive and remain, fight and remain, or leave the colony. The women majorly voted for the last two options. Women from two families were elected to decide their fate.
They debated and discussed what each would choose for their future, and the argument and discussion that followed at the barn will remind the audience of "12 Angry Men." It is not just about punishing the perpetrators but also about respecting their faith and coming up with the best possible solution.
August, the schoolteacher, was chosen to note down the minutes of their meeting. August's family has been excommunicated since his mother started questioning the functioning of the colony. The women seemed to know of the importance of their conversation in the future. The written notes were their way of instilling in the minds of those who read them everything that women were capable of accomplishing.
Every word they said was carefully noted down, be it for memory or simply for the sense of power that the moment held. The article highlights the importance of giving women a voice in such matters and the power of democracy. It showcases how the women, who were denied basic education and rights, came together to make decisions that would impact their future. The written notes were a symbol of their power and capability, and they made sure that their voices were heard.
It is a story of courage, resilience, and the determination to stand up against injustice.
Is Women Talking based on a True Story - FAQs
The women were being drugged and raped by men in their colony, but they were made to believe that their discomfort was caused by Satan or ghosts. They struggled to discuss it due to fear of being ostracized.
The women gathered at the barn to discuss their options. They voted to either forgive and remain, fight and remain, or leave the colony. Most women chose the last two options.
August, the schoolteacher at the colony, was elected to note down the minutes of the meeting.
August was accepted as the schoolteacher due to a lack of qualified individuals in the colony.
The written notes were important to the women as a way to document what they were capable of accomplishing and to instill a sense of power in those who read them.