Dahomey - Documentary Review

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A film by Mati Diop , a French-Senegalese filmmaker born in Paris in 1982, Dahomey will be in select cinemas 27 Feb 2025. With a run time of 68 mins and rated 'G' - find it at Dendy Newton NSW, Cinema Nova VIC, Dendy Canberra ACT, and New Farm QLD.

It's 9 Nov 2021 and 26 Royal Treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey are due to leave Paris, to return to their land of origin, the present-day Republic of Benin. These artefacts were among thousands looted by French Colonial Troops during the invasion of 1892. For them, 130 years of captivity are coming to an end. However, this homecoming causes much debate, raged amongst students at the University of Abomey-Calavi, and others. It's a tussle over what attitude to adopt to the homecoming of these ancestors - in a country that had to forge ahead in their absence.


Initially, you're not quite sure which way the story is heading as it wanders through a large warehouse space, the chambers of a Paris museum, austere and lacking the warmth of human presence. Within its silence, a voice breaks through, and through its narration and conversation, you realise it's the voice of the artefact labelled '26' - a statue of Dahomey's King Ghézo. This voice from the past that dips into the realm of the supernatural, a haunting voice that's indignant that it's been labelled with a number, it has grievances about its imprisonment in a foreign land - unsure how to feel about going home, torn between the fear of not being recognised by anyone, and not recognising anything. Carefully packed, the artefacts embark on their arduous journey home. Upon unpacking, the audience learns the significance of the artefacts.

However, it's only when they are put on display for all to pass comment upon and debate over, that it opens a Pandora's box that reaches the length, breadth, height and depth of the corridors of politics, religion, cultural significance, history, government, education, democracy, financial status and a whole lot more. Having some concrete part of historical value that has been pillaged returned, has also given the people a voice, and brings to light so many pathways that have been ignored, not given any significance, in a country whose official language is French, and not their own. A language introduced during the colonial period and retained as the official language upon independence. This is when the film gets interesting - listening to everyone's point of view - its many aspects valid, along with so much that has been lost to and robbed from the people, not the least their native tongue.


Being given the taste of 26 artworks, a mere fraction of the thousands plundered and have yet to be repatriated, brings on its own conversation about politics, and who's still in control and pulling the strings. How much longer will it take to return all that was stolen? Why were they all not returned? Some see the paltry numbers returned as an insult, and only for political gain to boost the image of France, or a political act on the part of Beninese president Patrice Talon, a descendant of interpreters who helped allow the thefts to happen in the first place. Should there be a battle for what rightfully belongs to the Beninese? The ability to take care of the artefacts by the Beninese also comes into question, an argument that has been used as justification for withholding the return of these treasures.

You'll find yourself embroiled in discussions that are far-reaching, lively and rarely in accordance with any particular point - each one speaking from the heart, depending on their maturity, experience, and knowledge about their history. Some admit they were bred on Disney movies and know little of their own history, thus feeling nothing towards the artefacts one way or the other. There's a lot to digest, and it's what livens up a film that has a slow start, with a culturally supernatural feel that's not always understood by or familiar to the world population. Slow start it may be, but once it hits its stride and gets into its rhythm, the conversations are engaging and almost scream for more screen time.



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