Dahomey

About

The documentary „Dahomey“ follows 26 artworks looted by French colonial troops during their 1892 raid on the Kingdom of Dahomey as they are returned from Paris to Benin. French-Senegalese director Mati Diop lends a voice to the statue of King Ghezo, reflecting on its years of captivity, and shows the conservation inventory and the celebrations accompanying the return. The film truly comes to life in debates among students at the Université d’Abomey-Calavi about restitution, and it was awarded the Golden Bear at the 2024 Berlinale. The introduction is given by Seggen Mikael, a freelance film educator, curator and author.

Written by a model, sources: dhm.de

Critics

7.3Very good

Critics praise the inventive approach to restitution, the students' debate and the film's concise power, calling it layered and important. Faults include a rushed, repetitive middle, slow stretches and missed opportunities in addressing colonial discourse.

Reviews: Kino-Zeit, Filmstarts, artechock, Perlentaucher, TMDb

Trailer