Dahomey Documentary Wins Golden Bear Award

The documentary "Dahomey" won the grand prize at the Berlin Film Festival. The production is directed by Matthieu Diop and explores the pressing issues surrounding the return of seized antiquities to Africa from Europe.
Kenyan-Mexican Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o, the first black president of the jury at the 74th edition of the festival, announced the selection of the seven-member jury among 20 contenders for the Golden Bear award at a ceremony, AFP reported.
Diop stated that the award is not only an honor for him, but also for the entire visible and invisible community that the film represents.
"To restore, we must first restore, and what does restoration mean? To restore is to do justice," added the director.
South Korean arthouse darling Hong Sang-soo won his second Grand Jury Prize for The Needs of a Traveler, his third collaboration with French screen legend Isabelle Huppert.
Hong, who is a frequent guest at the 11-day festival, thanked the jury, joking: "I don't know what you saw in this film."
French author Bruno Dumont accepted the jury's award for third place for "Empire" - an intergalactic battle of good and evil, which takes place in a French fishing village./BGNES