The Cinema of Benin refers to the film industry of the Republic of Benin in West Africa.

History

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Sources differ as to the which was the first Beninese film, with some pointing to the short Lumière des hommes (1954, director unknown),[1] with others pointing to the work of Pascal Abikanlou, who made a number of documentaries in the 1960s, followed by his first feature film Sous le signe du vaudou in 1974.[2][3] Richard De Medeiros was another noted director of the early independence years, beginning with 1970's Le roi est mort en exil, an examination of Béhanzin, the last king of Dahomey.[4] He went on to make the feature-length Le nouveau venu (1972), which explored the issue of corruption and the conflict between modernity and tradition in Benin.[5] François Okioh made a number of short documentaries in the 1980s, as well as the feature-length dramas Ironou (1985) and Enfants de... (1985).[6] Noted filmmakers of the last two decades are Jean Odoutan (Barbecue Pejo, 2000; Pim-Pim Tché, 2010), Idrissou Mora Kpai (Si-Gueriki, la reine-mère, 2002) and Sylvestre Amoussou (Africa Paradis, 2006).

List of Beninese films

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This is a sortable list of films produced in Benin.[7][1][8][4][6]

Year Title Director Genre Notes
1954 Lumière des hommes ? Short English title: Light of Men
1967 Ganvié, mon village Pascal Abikanlou Documentary, short English title: Ganvié, My Village
1968 Escale au Dahomey Pascal Abikanlou Documentary, short English title: Stopover in Dahomey
1969 Premières offrandes Pascal Abikanlou Documentary, short English title: First Offerings
1969 Fête de l'igname Pascal Abikanlou Documentary, short English title: Yam Festival
1970 Le roi est mort en exil Richard de Medeiros Drama, short English title: The King Died in Exile
1971 Opération Sonader Pascal Abikanlou Documentary, short English title: Operation Sonader
1971 De l'eau et de l'ombrage Pascal Abikanlou Documentary, short English title: Water and Shade
1972 Téké, hymne au Borgou Richard de Medeiros Documentary, short English title: Téké, Hymn of Borgou
1972 Silence et feu de brousse Richard de Medeiros Drama, short English title: Silence and Bushfire
1974 Sous le signe du vaudou Pascal Abikanlou Drama English title: Under the Sign of Voodoo
1975 L'Afrique au Rendez-vous de l'Année Sainte Pascal Abikanlou Documentary short English title: Africa at the Rendezvous of the New Year
1976 Le Nouveau venu Richard De Medeiros Drama English title: The Newcomer
1980 Ces Collines ne sont pas muettes François Okioh Documentary, short English title: These Hills are not Silent
1982 Le Fleuve a tout emporté François Okioh Documentary, short English title: The River Swept Everything
1983 Ogu François Okioh Documentary, short
1985 Enfants de... François Okioh Drama English title: Infants of...
1985 Ironou François Okioh Drama
1989 Dan xome royaume des Huegbadjavi Pascal Abikanlou Documentary English title: Dan Xome, Kingdom of Huegbadjavi
1991 Debout les morts ? Television production English title: Up the Dead
1991 Les Tresseurs de Corde François Okioh Drama English title: The Mat Cutters
1992 Vent de l'espoir Pascal Abikanlou Documentary English title: Wind of Hope
1993 Ouidah 92 Pascal Abikanlou Documentary
1998 Divine carcasse Dominique Loreau Drama English title: Divine Carcass
1999 Génération perdue M. Pounie English title: Lost Generation
2000 Barbecue-Pejo Jean Odoutan Drama
2000 Le Pays Idaasha François Okioh Drama English title: Dassa Country
2002 Si-Gueriki, la reine-mère Idrissou Mora Kpai Drama English title: Si-Gueriki, the Queen Mother
2004 La Valse des gros derrières Jean Odoutan English: The Waltz of the Big Behinds
2006 Abeni Tunde Kelani Drama Benin-Nigeria co-production
2006 Africa Paradis Sylvestre Amoussou Drama/comedy English title: Africa Paradise
2006 Abeni 2 Tunde Kelani Drama Benin-Nigeria co-production
2006 Crânes épais... lèvres fausses François Okioh Documentary, short English title: Thick Skulls... False Lips
2007 L'Amazone candidate Sanvi Panou Documentary English title: The Amazon Candidate
2010 Pim-Pim Tché Jean Odoutan Drama
2010 Shed No Tears Kaitlyn Summerill Documentary
2011 Un pas en avant - Les dessous de la corruption Sylvestre Amoussou Comedy English title: One Step Forward - The Bottom of Corruption
2011 Indochine, sur les traces d'une mère Idrissou Mora Kpai Documentary English title: Indochina: Traces of a Mother
2011 Femme d'Afrique Milja Viita Documentary short English title: Woman of Africa
2011 Larmes de sang Laitan Faranpojo & Mark Koumagnon English title: Tears of Blood
2012 La personne de Georges Adéagbo Matteo Fritelli Documentary English title: The Person of Georges Adéagbo
2012 Possessed by Voodoo Sergey Yastrzhembskiy Documentary
2012 The Camp Jean-Frédéric de Hasque Documentary
2014 Dreamcycles Nelson Roubert Documentary
2015 Gangbé! Arnauld Robert Documentary
2016 Vindicte Ange-Régis Hounkpatin Drama, short English title: Retribution
2016 Bight of the Twin Hazel Hill McCarthy III Documentary
2016 Dassa-Zoume Christophe Blanpied Documentary, short
2017 L'orage africain: un continent sous influence Sylvestre Amoussou Drama English title: The African Storm
2017 Studio Harmattan Stefanos Pavlakis Experimental short
2018 In Search of Voodoo: Roots of Heaven Djimon Hounsou Documentary
2018 ZanKlan Arcade Assogba Drama, short
2018 When God is Among Us Aidan Macaluso Documentary, short

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Houngnikpo, Mathurin C.; Decalo, Samuel (2013). Historical Dictionary of Benin (Fourth ed.). Lanham: The Scarecrow Press. pp. 164–65. ISBN 978-0-8108-7171-7.
  2. ^ Blaise Ahouansè (13 January 2013), Hommage à Pascal Abikanlou, le précurseur du cinéma béninois, La Nouvelle Tribune, archived from the original on 18 January 2020, retrieved 7 December 2019
  3. ^ Pascal Abikanlou, Africine, retrieved 7 December 2019
  4. ^ a b Richard de Medeiros, Africine, retrieved 7 December 2019
  5. ^ Le Nouveau Venu, Africine, retrieved 7 December 2019
  6. ^ a b François Okioh, Africine, retrieved 7 December 2019
  7. ^ IMDb - Benin, 6 December 2019
  8. ^ Various (2000) Les cinémas d'Afrique: Dictionnaire, Editions Karthala, p. 18
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