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Deep Dive: Dahomey (2024)

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Dahomey
Dahomey is a documentary film directed by Mati Diop that presents a dramatized account of 26 royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey, located in modern-day Benin. The film recounts the history of these artifacts, which were taken to France during the colonial period and displayed in the Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris. It covers the campaign for the repatriation of these treasures and the reactions from the Beninese people upon their return. The documentary includes perspectives from students at the University of Abomey-Calavi, who discuss the limited return of only 26 out of 7,000 ethnographic objects held by the Paris museum. A significant focus is placed on a statue of King Ghézo, the 26th object repatriated, which shares its memories of Africa through a voice-over by Haitian writer Makenzy Orcel. The film combines factual history with fictional elements to narrate the stories behind these important cultural artifacts.

Why Watch

  • •See the return of Dahomey treasures to Benin.
  • •Meet students discussing cultural repatriation.
  • •Find out about King Ghézo's statue's journey.

Did You Know

•The Kingdom of Dahomey existed from 1600 to 1904.
•The artifacts were taken to France during the colonial period from 1872 to 1960.
•The film won the Golden Bear at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in 2024.
•Only 26 of the 7,000 ethnographic objects held by the Paris museum were returned.
•The film was released in France on 11 September 2024.

Perfect For

Cultural heritageAfrican historyArt repatriation