Dahomey

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.

Keywords

  • Berlinale
  • Black History Month
  • Cine-Short: 90 Minutes of cinema
  • European Film Awards
  • Les César du cinéma
  • Nominated for the César Award 2025
  • San Sebastian Film Festival
  • The Golden Bear
  • World Cinema

Actors

  • Gildas Adannou
  • Habib Ahandessi
  • Joséa Guedje
  • Imelda Batamoussi

Director

  • Mati Diop

Documentary


1h 8min


-12

FR


FR

NL

France
Senegal
2024
The journey of 26 plundered royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey exhibited in Paris, now being returned to Benin.

The journey of 26 plundered royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey exhibited in Paris, now being returned to Benin.


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.

Festivals

Cast & Crew