Dahomey is a 2024 documentary film directed by Mati Diop. It is a dramatised account of 26 royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey, which were held in a museum in France. The film explores how the artifacts were returned from France to Benin, and the reactions of Beninese people.
Festival release poster
View of the African exhibit hall at Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac
Statue of King Ghézo (art object number 26) at the Quai Branly Museum
Film crew of Dahomey: Habib Ahandessi, Joséa Guedje, Mati Diop and Gildas Adannou at Berlinale 2024
Mati Diop is a French film director and actress. She won the Grand Prix at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival for her feature film debut, the supernatural romantic drama Atlantics, and the Golden Bear at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival for her second feature film, the documentary Dahomey. As an actress, she is known for the drama film 35 Shots of Rum (2008).
Diop in 2024