DAHOMEY
France/Benin/Senegal, 2024, 68 minutes, Colour.
Lucrece Hougbelo.
Directed by Mati Diop.
The kingdom of Dahomey was part of present-day Benin. This is a documentary focusing on Benin trying to recover its cultural heritage.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the colonial powers took/ stole art and artefacts from nations under their control and transferred them to the galleries of Europe. In this case, it was France who took the artefacts to Paris. Now, in the 21st-century, several, not all, of these artefacts have been returned to Benin. This is that story, 26 items taken from galleries, packed and stored, transported to the home country and welcomed by joyful citizens.
To that extent, this film is a plea for the restoration of culture, a recognition of the claims of former colonial countries, a challenge to those past colonial powers. And, there are so many such claims even to the present.
What makes this film different, even its winning the top prize, the Golden Bear, at the Berlinale, 2024, is the style that its writer-director, French Matty Diop, brings to her film. And the style varies throughout the film.
One aspect that might disturb viewers is the fact that the director seems to have a delight in long, very long takes, giving plenty of time to a contemptible audience, making more active audience somewhat agitated, wanting the film to move on. And, some of the objects of the long takes seem particularly abstract rather than realistic, white walls, spaces in the walls, time to ponder.
Another creative device that she uses is to focus on the last of the objects to be brought home, identified as number 26. And, in the film, number 26 has a voice, talking about the experience of capture, exhibition, the possibilities of returning, as if the artwork was a person, reflecting, confiding. This does bring different perspective to the return of the artworks and what they mean in themselves as well as what they mean to the local people.
When the objects return home, there are various discussions, especially much younger people, forums to talk about the artworks themselves, the cultural background, the religious background, the transition in perspectives about them from the 19th century to the 21st-century – and the film ending with a focus on life in Benin, 21st-century style, international, modern, a contrast to the world in which the artefacts were made.
The film has won over 60 award nominations and wins.
