Synopsis : The African kingdom of Dahomey saw hundreds of its splendid royal artifacts plundered by French colonial troops in its waning days. Now, 26 of these treasures are set to return to their homeland. Filmmaker Mati Diop takes a singular approach to contemporary questions around belonging in our postcolonial world, transforming this rich subject matter into a multifaceted examination of ownership and exhibition, and employing multiple points of view, including—most strikingly—those of the artifacts themselves as they sail in darkness over the ocean to their original home.
Festival History : Berlin International Film Festival 2024, Toronto International Film Festival 2024, San Sebastián International Film Festival 2024
Awards : Golden Bear, Berlin International Film Festival 2024
Director :
Mati Diop
Producer :
Eve Robin, Judith Lou Lévy, Mati Diop
Screenplay :
Mati Diop
DOP :
Josephine Drouin Viallard
Editor :
Gabriel Gonzalez
Cast :
Gildas Adannou, Habib Ahandessi, Joséa Guedje, Imelda Batamoussi
Mati Diop is a French filmmaker and actress working in both France and Senegal. Her formally adventurous films explore exile,identity, memory and loss using fiction and documentary tools. Her first feature Atlantics (2019) was awarded the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival.