Restituer ? L’Afrique en quête de ses chefs-d’oeuvre

The International Festival of Films on Art (Le FIFA) is back for its 40th edition! Taking place online and in person, from March 15 to 27, 2022, this edition invites you to discover a selection of nearly 200 films from over 40 different countries.
Ticketing: https://lefifa.com/en/ticketing

Restitution - Returning Artworks to Africa

Director : Nora Philippe
Germany, France 2021 | 82 min.
Original version with English/French subtitles.

Official selection | Online

The language in this film may be offensive to some people. Viewer discretion is advised.

We often forget that Western museums have hundreds of thousands of objects and works of art that were stolen from sub-Saharan Africa during the colonization period. Engaging in a nationalist race starting in the late nineteenth century, European countries sought to build the most grandiose museums and the richest collections. Since these lootings, the communities and countries of origin have been fighting for the return of their exiled works, sacred objects, and ancestors. Europe has rarely wanted to hear their voices, and the great museums of the Northern Hemisphere have always resisted this call for justice. In 2018, a report commissioned by the French presidency and written by thinkers Felwine Sarr and Bénédicte Savoy caused an uproar. The time for final restitution seems to have come. African museums are multiplying and preparing for these works to return. Yet the colonial spectre continues to haunt this complex geopolitical context. Will European countries keep their promises?

In person screenings :

• Wednesday, March 23, 2022, 13:30 — 15:30 | Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec
• Friday, March 25, 2022, 15:00 — 17:00 | Cinéma du Musée