The country was generously given back a small part of their stolen history.
Diop, however, wants to remind us all that time is a flat circle.
Another calls the entire thing an insult, given that only 26 out of 7,000 items were returned.
A scene from the documentary ‘Dahomey.‘Mubi
I grew up on Disney,Avatar, Tom & Jerry, notes one twentysomething.
I didnt grow up watching an animated movie on [Dahomeys King] Behanzin.
Another expresses it in the most cut-the-crap way possible: What was looted 100 years ago was our soul.
What happens to a countrys cultural heritage when the elements that once defined it are taken away?
Does the giving back of such things heal the original wound, or just reopen it?
Who owns a colonized culture the colonizers, or its original creators?
You get the sense that France might view their generous offering as the conclusion of the conversation.
Theres a much larger dialogue to be had about accountability and the damage done.
Thankfully, Diop gives her narrator No.
26 the last word: I wont ever stop.
