Dahomey

In November 2021 France returns twenty-six of the seven thousand objects it looted from the Kingdom of Dahomey in 1892. The documentary follows that journey: the crates packed in Paris, the flight, the reception in Cotonou, and the works going back on display in a museum. Its unusual decision is the narrator. The statue of King Ghezo speaks, describing the years in the dark, being known by a number, and not recognising the country it has come back to. The voice is processed and does not belong to this world. The second half is entirely live: students at the University of Abomey-Calavi argue about the restitution. Some treat it as a victory, some regard twenty-six out of seven thousand as an insult, and others ask what these objects mean for Benin today. The film takes no side and does not cut the argument short. Mati Diop directed. It is short, a little over sixty minutes. It won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 2024. Who it is for: anyone interested in the postcolonial argument and in formally bold documentary. Who it is not for: anyone expecting a full historical account. The film does not explain the background, the talking statue will be too much for some viewers, and the running time is short for the size of the subject.