DAHOMEY
Winner of the Golden Bear at the 2024 Berlinale, Mati Diop’s dynamic documentary is a poetic and immersive work of art that delves into issues of appropriation, self-determination and restitution through the story of 26 royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey being returned to their country of origin.
SHOWTIMES
JAN 31 | FRI
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SYNOPSIS
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.
Director
Mati Diop
WITH
Gildas Adannou, Morias Agbessi, Maryline Agbossi, Habib Ahandessi
Run Time
1 hour, 8 minutes
Released
October 25, 2024
Distributed by
HEARING AND VISUAL ASSISTANCE
Assisted Listening
Subtitled / Open Captions
Country
Senegal, France
SUBTITLES
French with English Subtitles
NOT RATED
Many of the films shown at The Ross are not rated due to the prohibitive cost of acquiring an MPAA rating. Some unrated films contain adult themes and content so viewer discretion is advised.
REVIEWS
“At only 68 minutes, Dahomey brims with plenty of perspectives on what the restitution of these ancient treasures symbolizes and the dicey political implications around it.”
“… the film takes on a dreamy quality that puts the immediate debates in cultural and temporal perspective.”