In the 19th century, Western powers looted 26 valuable royal artefacts from the West African nation of Benin. French-Senegalese filmmaker Mati Diop made a documentary ‘Dahomey’ about how they came back to Benin. It won the Golden Bear, the highest award at the 74th Berlin Film Festival. The recognition was handed over to him on Saturday (February 25).
There was once an empire in West Africa called Dahomey. That’s where the looted artifacts are made. These were looted by a French colonel during the victory in the Dahomey campaign in 1892. Much later the artefacts were returned from Paris to Benin.
After winning the Golden Bear, Mati Diop said, ‘It’s a great opportunity to bring a little-known story to the screen. France has made every effort to cover up this reality. Attempts have been made to define that event in such a way as to provide salvation.’
(u09acu09beu0981 u09a5u09c7u0995u09c7) u09acu09beu09b8u09c7u09b2 u0986u09a6u09cdu09b0u09be u0993 u0987u0989u09adu0 9beu09b2 u0985 u09cdu09afu09beu09acu09cdu09b0u09beu09b9u09beu09ae“}”> Mati Diop of Senegalese origin was born in Paris, the capital of France. His directorial debut feature film ‘Atlantics’ won the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2019. Its theme is migration and the lost at sea of men living in Dakar, the capital of Senegal. He questioned European colonialism in ‘Dahomey’. Kenyan-Mexican actress Lupita Nyong’o was the head of the judges at this year’s event.
Mati Diop called for a ceasefire in the Palestinian Gaza while participating in Berlin. Many like him took to the stage at the festival wearing the keffiyeh scarf, a symbol of the Palestinian liberation movement.
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Israel-Palestine’s ‘No Other Land’ won the Best Documentary Award. It highlights the struggle to protect the village of Basel Adrar, a builder in the West Bank. Because Israeli settlers surrounded it. He said, ‘I am here celebrating the award. But it is very difficult for me to celebrate a time of killing and genocide in my country in the Israeli attack on Gaza.’
‘No Other Land’ is co-directed by Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham. In his words, ‘I am an Israeli and Basel is a Palestinian. After two days we will return to our own country where we are not equal. This state of racism and discrimination, which is a wall between us, must end.’
The Jury Prize was won by South Korea’s “A Traveler’s Needs,” directed by Hong Sang-soo. The Jury Prize went to French director Bruno Dumont’s ‘The Empire’. Dominican Republic’s Nelson Carlo de los Santos won best director for ‘Pepe’, based on the American hippopotamus.
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Romanian-American star Sebastian Stan won the best actor award for his outstanding portrayal of neurofibromatosis sufferer Edward in ‘A Different Man’. He underwent surgery to start life anew. Edward settles on someone else to act in a stage play based on his past life.
British actress Emily Watson won the best supporting actress award for her portrayal of a corrupt character in the festival’s opening film ‘Small Things Like These’.
The best screenplay went to German director Matthias Glasner’s ‘Dying’. The award for outstanding artistic contribution went to cinematographer Martin Geschlacht for the film “The Devil’s Bath” directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala.
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American director Martin Scorsese received the honorary Golden Bear Award at this year’s event.
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