November 5, 2024
FILM: DAHOMEY
DIRECTED BY: MATI DIOP
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
Earlier this year, the documentary Dahomey won the Golden Bear prize at the Berlin International Film Festival. It’s a prestigious award which has taken the film on a journey to festivals across the world. It is now being heavily touted as one of the best documentaries of the year and is definitely one of the most original and provocative for sure. It’s also a bit frustrating yet deeply personal to many who’ve seen it.
We’re given the basic details on the screen at the beginning: Royal treasures which were taken from the Kingdom of Dahomey in West Africa are being brought to what is now the Republic of Benin after over a hundred years on display in Paris. The journey begins in 2021 as the statues and artifacts are being carefully packaged for their return. What is unclear at first is what exactly these are and what their history is. Sure, they appear to be significant but we do not initially have the full context. Then the screen goes black and we hear a distorted voice that appears to be expressing the thoughts of one of the statues. He tells us he is “26,” suggesting he is the last of the treasures to be part of this particular journey home. It’s interesting to hear this perspective as he expresses his confusion as to what is happening and what his significance is.
This approach is interesting but the point of view does then change to the workers who are involved in the crating and shipping of the statue and then it’s on to the men that provide a more detailed description and assessment of its physical condition. It is here we learn that several of these are representations of former kings and the plot thickens.
The most enlightening section of the film comes next as university students in Benin debate the importance of these treasures. It is a highly intelligent and spirited discussion which essentially represents the heart and theme of the entire documentary. Some state they feel their cultural heritage had been lost when these artifacts were taken during a time of war with France. Others claim they have traditions that are more important than what these treasures represent. Some believe the return of the treasures is a political move by France to raise back its profile in Africa. The problem is that only seven of a reported two thousand such works of art are being returned. Some of the students push for more while others proclaim they should appreciate what they do receive. Then there’s what is probably the most significant debate: do these treasures represent nothing more than art or are they sacred?
I found this section to have a lot to contemplate versus the more stark and impersonal previous parts of the film. For those who prefer more information be provided in a documentary like this, there is a frustrating lack of narration and other outside interviews which might shed more light on the histories between these nations and the relevance of art/heritage/religion to the Benin people today.
Still it is an eye-opening film at only 68 minutes. The music score features a mix of styles which balance out the silent sections. I found the music to be quite beautiful and not overly manipulative but more of a reflection of the various perspectives raised during the context of the film. It also highlights the change the culture has experienced in the last hundred and thirty years or so. Whether the return of the treasures will fill some deep hole in the country remains to be seen.
Dahomey is Senegal’s submission for the Best International Feature Oscar this year. It is currently playing in limited release, including the Gene Siskel Center in Chicago.
FILM: DAHOMEY
DIRECTED BY: MATI DIOP
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
Earlier this year, the documentary Dahomey won the Golden Bear prize at the Berlin International Film Festival. It’s a prestigious award which has taken the film on a journey to festivals across the world. It is now being heavily touted as one of the best documentaries of the year and is definitely one of the most original and provocative for sure. It’s also a bit frustrating yet deeply personal to many who’ve seen it.
We’re given the basic details on the screen at the beginning: Royal treasures which were taken from the Kingdom of Dahomey in West Africa are being brought to what is now the Republic of Benin after over a hundred years on display in Paris. The journey begins in 2021 as the statues and artifacts are being carefully packaged for their return. What is unclear at first is what exactly these are and what their history is. Sure, they appear to be significant but we do not initially have the full context. Then the screen goes black and we hear a distorted voice that appears to be expressing the thoughts of one of the statues. He tells us he is “26,” suggesting he is the last of the treasures to be part of this particular journey home. It’s interesting to hear this perspective as he expresses his confusion as to what is happening and what his significance is.
This approach is interesting but the point of view does then change to the workers who are involved in the crating and shipping of the statue and then it’s on to the men that provide a more detailed description and assessment of its physical condition. It is here we learn that several of these are representations of former kings and the plot thickens.
The most enlightening section of the film comes next as university students in Benin debate the importance of these treasures. It is a highly intelligent and spirited discussion which essentially represents the heart and theme of the entire documentary. Some state they feel their cultural heritage had been lost when these artifacts were taken during a time of war with France. Others claim they have traditions that are more important than what these treasures represent. Some believe the return of the treasures is a political move by France to raise back its profile in Africa. The problem is that only seven of a reported two thousand such works of art are being returned. Some of the students push for more while others proclaim they should appreciate what they do receive. Then there’s what is probably the most significant debate: do these treasures represent nothing more than art or are they sacred?
I found this section to have a lot to contemplate versus the more stark and impersonal previous parts of the film. For those who prefer more information be provided in a documentary like this, there is a frustrating lack of narration and other outside interviews which might shed more light on the histories between these nations and the relevance of art/heritage/religion to the Benin people today.
Still it is an eye-opening film at only 68 minutes. The music score features a mix of styles which balance out the silent sections. I found the music to be quite beautiful and not overly manipulative but more of a reflection of the various perspectives raised during the context of the film. It also highlights the change the culture has experienced in the last hundred and thirty years or so. Whether the return of the treasures will fill some deep hole in the country remains to be seen.
Dahomey is Senegal’s submission for the Best International Feature Oscar this year. It is currently playing in limited release, including the Gene Siskel Center in Chicago.