Film 'Dahomey' wins 'Golden Bear' at Berlinale

(Patria) - The film "Dahomey" by French-Senegalese director Mati Diop is the winner of the 74th Berlin Film Festival (Berlinale), reports Jutarnji list.

The international jury, chaired by Hollywood actress Lupita Nyong‘o, awarded the main festival prize, the "Golden Bear", to a documentary film about the return of 30 looted sculptures that the French state returned from Parisian museums to their country of origin - the West African republic of Benin.

The second most important festival award, the "Silver Bear", was won by the film "The Novelist's Film" by Korean director Hong Sangsoo, starring French actress Isabelle Huppert.

Another "Silver Bear" from the festival jury was awarded to French director Bruno Dumont for his satirical space opera "The Empire".

The award for best director went to director Nelson De Santos Carlos Arias from the Dominican Republic for the film "Pepe" - an absurd pseudo-documentary essay about a hippopotamus transported from Africa for the private zoo of drug lord Pablo Escobar.

The award for screenplay went to local author Mattias Glasner for the dark family comedy "Sterben" (To Die).

The award for best actress went to Emma Watson for her role as a wicked nun in the Irish film "Small Things Like These" directed by Tim Mielants.

The award for best actor was given to American actor Sebastian Stan for the independent New York film "Different Man". The award for cinematography went to Austrian cinematographer Martin Gschlacht for the horror film "Vespers".

The two most important awards from the independent juries - the Ecumenical Jury Prize and the FIPRESCI Critics' Prize - went to the Iranian film "My Favourite Cake" by directing couple Maryam Moqadam and Behtash Sanaeha.

The Golden Bear for Best Film goes to “Dahomey” directed by Mati Diop and produced by Eve Robin, Judith Lou Lévy, and Mati Diop. Congratulations!

Discover all info on the winners, awards, and juries here: https://t.co/oU1KlhS3EI pic.twitter.com/pVvdp7HozL

— Berlinale (@berlinale) February 24, 2024

Their politically charged romantic comedy was considered a major favorite for the "Golden Bear" before the ceremony. The fact that the jury did not award it any recognition may be the biggest surprise of the awards evening.

The film "Dahomey" is the second French film and the second documentary to leave Berlin with the "Golden Bear".

Director Diop uses cameras to follow the operation of returning about thirty wooden sculptures that French colonizers took from the then colony of Dahomey to France at the end of the 19th century.

After being stored for over a century in the Parisian Musée de l'Homme (ethnographic museum), the sculptures were returned to their origin - the independent republic now called Benin - by decision of President Macron.

In the first part of the film, Diop follows the preparations and logistics for the transport of the sculptures, the work of freight forwarders, conservators, and curators. She then moves to Benin, where the return of the artworks is a great historical day.

The official policy, led by (rather operetta-like) President Patrice Talon, presents the return as a great triumph of diplomacy and the restoration of national identity and honor.

Diop follows heated public debates in which citizens and students argue about the importance of the event. Some consider it a historical success, while others point out that only twenty-odd out of about 7,000 looted tribal artworks have been returned. They believe the return is just a political eyewash, a way to appease consciences.

The director of "Dahomey", Diop, is French of Senegalese origin. She debuted as an actress with Claire Denis in her film "35 Rhums".

She has been directing for about fifteen years, and her most notable film - much better than "Dahomey" - is the feature film "Atlantique" from 2019, which deals with young Senegalese preparing to travel across the ocean to Europe as illegal immigrants.