“Why should any woman have to earn her place in the world by looking a particular way?” asks Keira Knightley in a new trailer for “Misbehaviour.” The dramedy is based on a true story and sees the Oscar-nominated actress playing Sally, a women’s rights activist determined to disrupt the 1970 Miss World competition. She and her fellow Women’s Liberation members are tired of the pageant “turning oppression into spectacle,” so they vow to make a spectacle of their own.

The trailer also offers an alternative perspective on the competition. “If I win, there will be little girls who might start to believe they have a place in the world,” says Miss Grenada (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, “The Morning Show”), who would be making history as the first Black Miss World if she’s crowned.

“Misbehaviour” is directed by Philippa Lowthorpe (“Call the Midwife”), and Gaby Chiappe (“Their Finest”) and Rebecca Frayn (“The Lady”) penned its script. Lesley Manville (“Harlots”),  Jessie Buckley (“Wild Rose”), and Keeley Hawes (“Bodyguard”) co-star. The film hits select theaters and VOD September 25.