Dahomey

On November 9, 2021, 26 royal treasures that had been looted by French troops 130 years ago were returned to the Republic of Benin, then known as "Dahomey."

Laura's Review: B+

Cowriter (with Malkenzy Orcel)/director Mati Diop ("Atlantics") takes a unique approach to her documentary on the return of stolen artifacts to Benin, imagining the interior life of a statue of King Ghézo (voice of Orcel) as feeling dead for over a century and bemoaning his renaming as 'No. 26.' Diop plunges us into Ghézo's point of view with cinematographer Joséphine Drouin-Viallard taking us inside his moving crate as it is nailed shut as sound designer Nicolas Becker muffles exterior sound to complete the illusion.

Diop will cut to the outside world, showing us the workers packing up the 26 pieces in a Paris museum, then rolling crates down sterile basement hallways. The crate will be loaded into an airplane, once again the screen going black as we hear it taxi and take off, the king wondering whether he will be remembered upon his return and also if he will remember his homeland. At its destination, fanciful music plays as the crate is unloaded. Ghézo appears to be remembered, the Beninese people celebrating in the streets as a newspaper headline proclaims 'Historique!'

Diop then shifts to museum staff cataloging and assessing the condition of the pieces, including the elaborate wooden throne of Kings Glélé and Béhanzin sitting atop two tiers of carved figures, maidservants and slaves (Dahomey was the home of the female warriors depicted in 2022's "The Woman King," which drew some criticism for its failure to mention the country's slave trade). Ghézo, our guide on the journey, is a life size wooden figure with an oversized head and raised right fist while Glélé is depicted as half man half lion and Béhanzin half shark. As they are placed into glass display cases in the Presidential Palace, two young construction workers regard them with awe. When the exhibit opens, a parade of dignitaries in traditional attire parade in to greet them, one woman excited, having heard about these kings from her great-grandmother. (Note an exterior shot of the palace which affords us a quick glimpse of the 30 foot Benin Amazon statue.)

The winner of the 2024 Berlin Golden Bear also dives into the politics of the event with a question and answer session among a crowd of college students. Many are outraged that only 26 of 7,000 pieces have been returned, accusing French President Macron of using the repatriation to burnish his image. A young woman who identifies herself as a filmmaker vehemently disagrees, saying that this is a start. One young man speaks of growing up with Disney, "Avatar" and Tom and Jerry, never having had any idea of his own cultural heritage. Diop will return to the exhibit as the public visits, young children gazing at the artworks representing their royal ancestors. When evening arrives, lights are shut off and Ghézo is once again left alone with his thoughts. At only 68 minutes, "Dahomey" covers its subject from every angle.

Robin's Review: C

Mubi releases "Dahomey" in select theaters on 10/25/24. Click here for theaters and playdates.