Dahomey reigns as winner of Africa Narrative Change Film Award
Francois Bouda
Dahomey reigns as winner of Africa Narrative Change Film Award
Narrative change organisation Africa No Filter and Cairo International Film Festival have awarded a new prize, the Africa Narrative Change Film Award, to Dahomey, a documentary that follows 26 royal treasures of the Kingdom of Dahomey as they leave Paris to return to their country of origin in the present-day Republic of Benin.
The award, the brainchild of Africa No Filter, came with prize money. According to a statement, the award is aimed at promoting films within the African cinema industry that contribute to a better representation of Africa through stories that celebrate innovation, progress, and opportunity in the continent.
Dahomey came against the backdrop of the call for Western museums and institutions to return stolen African artefacts to their countries of origin. It explores issues of appropriation, self-determination, and restitution.
The Arts and Culture Programme Officer at Africa No Filter, Francois Bouda, said, “Film is one of the most influential platforms for shaping narratives. Look what Hollywood has done for the US Dahomey is correcting the past, which is very important. We are also looking to support filmmakers who help us reimagine Africa through the award.
“We want to recognize the merit of African filmmakers willing to use brilliant storytelling to show Africa’s progress, innovation, creativity, and progress. The award is our way of recognizing filmmakers whose work offers new storylines with new heroes, new voices and people with agency.”
Speaking on behalf of the film’s team, the director, said, Mati Diop, was quoted as saying, “We are pleased and honoured to receive this award and wish to express our gratitude to the members of the jury for their recognition. As an Afro-descendant film-maker, it is particularly significant for me to receive an award called Africa Narrative Change from Egypt where our story, as negros, began. Cinema must resist forgetting and falsifying history; it must allow us to take root in ourselves to regain control over our narrative and image. Today, through cinema, let’s dare! Let’s dare to reinvent new imaginaries of ourselves. Today, through cinema, let’s dare to choose which story we want to write of ourselves, to ourselves and for the world.”
Dahomey was released in February 2024. It won the Golden Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival and has been selected as Senegal’s entry to the 2025 Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category.
As part of its mission to highlight and celebrate the power of film in telling better stories about the continent, Africa No Filter is calling on the public to nominate films for the Africa Narrative Change Award. Nominations can be made in English and in French.
Africa No Filter is an advocacy organisation that is shifting stereotypical narratives about Africa through storytelling that reflects a dynamic continent of progress, innovation and opportunity. The donor collaborative is funded by Fthe ord Foundation, Mellon Foundation, Luminate, Open Society Foundations, Comic Relief, the Hilton Foundation, and Hewlett Foundation.
