Mati Diop wins the Golden Bear at the Berlinale with “Dahomey”.

At the 74th Berlinale on February 24, French-Senegalese director Mati Diop was awarded the Golden Bear for her film Dahomey. In her speech, she quoted the Martinique intellectual Aimé Césaire, asserting: "We have the choice between forgetting the past, this burden that hinders our evolution, or assuming this responsibility in order to move forward". This statement illustrates the very essence of his work, which explores the recent restitution to Benin of 26 works of art looted by French colonial troops in 1892.

Dahomey traces this restitution process, a movement initiated by former colonial powers such as France, Germany and Belgium over the past five years.

Mati Diop expressed her wish to see her film shown in as many African countries as possible, particularly in schools and universities, to educate and raise awareness of these issues of historical justice.

In her speech at the Berlinale, Mati Diop underlined her commitment not to give in to historical amnesia. "As an Afrodescendant filmmaker, I choose not to forget," she declared. She also expressed her support for the Senegalese people in their struggle for democracy and justice, and her solidarity with Palestine.

The film Dahomey gives voice to an anthropomorphic statue of King Ghézo, who, through a voice-over, tells his story. Using the Fon language of Benin, the statue expresses its pain at having been reduced to a number - "le 26" - in the reserves of the musée du quai Branly in Paris.

This prestigious award and Mati Diop's powerful message highlight the challenges of cultural restitution and the importance of collective memory in the construction of identity.

Photo credit: Berlinale