Dahomey. 2024. France/Senegal/Benin. Directed by Mati Diop. DCP courtesy MUBI. In French; English subtitles. 67 min.
Winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, Mati Dop’s daring documentary chronicles the historic repatriation of 26 royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey, looted by France’s colonial empire, to Benin. With unparalleled access to the proceedings, the Franco-Senegalese director trains a watchful eye on the packing, transport, and unveiling of the spectacular works in Cotonou. Yet Diop affirms that this return does not amount to a resolution, and criss-crossing reflections on power, heritage, and memory pulsate throughout the film. Through a fantastical intervention, Dahomey gives agency back to the statues in the narration of their own homecoming, while a debate staged at a local university embraces the voices of a younger generation in negotiating the restitution on their own terms. Both are highlights for lovers of Diop’s unique mix of spectral and political cinema.