Dahomey

2024 [FRENCH]

Documentary

1
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 99% · 94 reviews
IMDb Rating 6.8/10 10 2810 2.8K

Plot summary

Thousands of royal artifacts of Dahomey, a West African kingdom, were taken by French colonists in the 19th century for collection and display in Paris. Centuries later, a fraction returned to their home in modern-day Benin. This dramatized documentary follows the journey of 26 of the treasures as told by cultural art historians, embattled university students, and one of the repatriated statues himself.

Director

Mati Diop Photo
Mati Diop

Top cast

Gildas Adannou Photo
Gildas Adannou as Self
Morias Agbessi Photo
Morias Agbessi as Self
Maryline Agbossi Photo
Maryline Agbossi as Self
Habib Ahandessi Photo
Habib Ahandessi as Self

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by OhmSpectator 8 / 10

Echoes of Heritage: A Poetic Journey of Artifacts from France to Benin

The documentary, elevated by poetic undertones, narrates the journey of historical artifacts returning from France to Benin. It highlights the debates among the Beninese about the significance of this event, showcasing a broad spectrum of perspectives. Particularly captivating is the technique of narrating from the artifact's point of view, adding depth and complexity to the audience's understanding. From a technical standpoint, the project is exceptionally well-crafted, impressing with its image quality, thoughtful pacing, and mesmerizing sound.As a viewer from Europe, I felt a slight lack of explanation about what modern Benin is like beyond its capital, which would have helped form an opinion on the discussions presented by the Beninese in the film. However, it's clear that the filmmaker did not set out to provide a comprehensive overview of the country's current state.
Reviewed by mckraut13 6 / 10

Mostly missed opportunity

Even though this is a short film it seemed to me to contain a lot of filler. It gained some interest about halfway through with in the public forum segments. With such an interesting subject matter, I felt myself wanting to learn more about the artifacts, the process that got them back to Benin, how and why they were stolen. I found myself annoyed with so many lengthy shots of security cameras, hallways, airports, and moving equipment.Listening to Beninese talk about the significance of gaining these pieces back and all of the relics still in France was the meatiest part of this film and the most engaging for me. Often, I feel that a unsubstantial film could be edited for improvement. In this case, I feel that a lot of substance could have been added.
Reviewed by peter0969 8 / 10

Poetic Heritage

Highlighting the narrative of historical artifacts returning to the original country, Mati Diop's documentary about artifacts, history, and culture is a slow, meditative, and poetic documentary that does offer an interesting observation of it's main subject.Diop's approach is interesting as it felt like a real-life poetry being at displayed. Filled with gorgeous sound designs, music, and interesting imagery choices to present, it's definitely a documentary that sheds a good light on it's way. Interconnected with poetic dialogue, it's slow and meditative approach creates an interesting experience.It isn't a standard documentary as it's more of an experimental art piece of a movie at times. But it's definitely an interesting experience.
Read more IMDb reviews

No comments yet

Be the first to leave a comment