Dahomey (PG)

About

Director: Mati Diop
Stars: Gildas Adannou, Habib Ahandessi & Joséa Guedje
Runtime: 1h 8m
Genres: Documentary
Certificate: PG
Languages: English, French, Fon (Subtitles)
Content Advice: Mild threat, discrimination references (Find out more at bbfc.co.uk)

From acclaimed filmmaker Mati Diop (Atlantics), Dahomey is a poetic and immersive work of art that delves into real perspectives on far-reaching issues surrounding appropriation, self-determination and restitution. Set in November 2021, the documentary charts 26 royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey that are due to leave Paris and return to their country of origin: the present-day Republic of Benin. Using multiple perspectives, Diop questions how these artifacts should be received in a country that has reinvented itself in their absence. Winner of the coveted Golden Bear prize at the 2024 Berlinale, Dahomey is an affecting though altogether singular conversation piece that is as spellbinding as it is essential.