Dahomey: Cultural Reclamation in Film

Dahomey (2024) – a haunting exploration of cultural reclamation – captures the bittersweet return of 27 looted artefacts to Benin. In her mesmerising second feature, Mati Diop brings back her signature haunting, fantastical storytelling, giving each artefact an eerie voice and transforming them into spectral characters that embody both the beauty of their origins and the suffering of displacement. Through the eyes of Beninese students, the film explores the complex feelings surrounding repatriation, delving into themes of identity and the scars of colonial plunder. Diop’s blend of silent reflection and vibrant music intensifies the emotional weight, rendering Dahomey a profound meditation on cultural endurance.