RETURN TO VOODOOLAND
A report by Marion Mayer-Hohdahl
Script
Dur:
31’10’’
0:004
Title
0:19
Lyon,
France’s second largest city. The black face in the crowd has been here for
thirteen years. Lébéné Béhanzin
comes from West Africa. One of the million or so foreigners, contemptuously
called by the French - Pied Noir. In France, as a coloured person, he’s
remained an outsider. But at the back of his mind he has known he could return
to the land of his father - where he was and still is, Prince Lébéné, son of the King of Benin.
00:57
It
took nine years after Prince Lébéné’s arrival in
France to find steady work - in a leisure centre in one of Lyon’s most
depressed suburbs.
01:10
The
city supports the centre to keep unemployed youths off the streets. French people
don’t want to work here. If they do, it’s usually an alternative for those who
refuse to do military service. At 7’500 French francs a month, Prince Lébéné’s pay is
barely enough to feed his small family.
01:35
The
youths who sit here playing games are mainly of Arab origin. They are as
foreign as Prince Lébéné himself. But they have
little respect for anything. Least of all a black.
Even
here, blacks are on the lowest rung of the social ladder. Juvenile offending is
common and many end up in trouble with the law. The rate of criminality in this
part of Lyon is high.
02:04
Lébéné Béhanzin,
Prince of Dahomey
At the end of the day you’ve no idea
what’s going to happen. Verbal violence is an everyday thing - just like
physical violence.
02:23
The
suburb of St Vons isn’t one of Lyon’s tourist attractions. This is the home of
industries, and a ghetto for foreigners.
02:35
Prince
Lébéné lives in one of these concrete blocks, where
hopelessness is a normal part of life. His neighbours are foreigners from
different parts of the world. Only a few French have strayed here - mainly
because the rents are cheap.
02:52
Lébéné Béhanzin
What annoys me most about France is the
racism. It doesn’t matter if you’re intelligent, courageous or professionally
competent. You’ve got something that the others don’t have: black skin, and
they let you know that immediately.
03:19
Prince
Lébéné recently married a French woman, Marise, who was also born in Africa. He doesn’t want his
two year-old son Killian, to suffer the way he has because of the colour of his
skin.
03:36
Prince
Lébéné has studied for a French diploma in social
sciences. Marise works part-time in a library. Even
though she’s white, she’s also been made to feel like an outsider in France,
because of her marriage.
03:53
Most
of Lébéné’s friends don’t know that he is an African
prince, who may one day become an African king. In France, that doesn’t count,
so he doesn’t make an issue of it. For now he’s celebrating and off to visit
Benin, where he one day hopes to live.
04:18
Benin
- a small country of four-and-a-half million people in the Gulf of Guinea. Here
the name Béhanzin has real resonance. The last West
African king who rebelled against French colonisers, was Lébéné’s
great grandfather, King Béhanzin.
04:58
Here
at the court even Prince Lébéné, who lives in Europe,
must bow to tradition. Although King Assangan Barnabé Béhanzin is more a symbol
than a ruler today, he can’t be approached in an upright position.
05:15
And
he can only be addressed when he touches the backs of those who want to talk to
him. Benin is a land of custom. Prince Lébéné and all
the others present are wearing traditional clothing. During the audience,
people talk about their worries, news is exchanged and old stories freshened
up. And tales of the heroic deeds of the last King Béhanzin
are told and sung.
05:58
The
king’s family admire the fact that he can still dance at the ripe old age of
73. In recognition, they give him money. The king demands respect from his
family - particularly from the 30 children he’s fathered by different women.
06:31
Assangan Béhanzin,
King of Dahomey
It’s my duty to keep the entire royal
family together, to invite them to gatherings. Not just to strengthen our good
relationship, but also to promote our customs and traditions so our descendants
can continue to practice them.
07:04
The
last official king, accompanied by some of his wives, was expelled from the
country by the French. This king was famous for his bravery, his insolence and
his army of women - called Amazons.
07:38
The
royal umbrella and royal sceptre accompany King Assangan
Béhanzin everywhere.
08:06
Normally
no-one can sit at the same height as the king, but in the case of Prince Lébéné, the king is making an exception. Some of his children
are not from his five official wives. Polygamy is normal for men here,
Christian or Moslem - so long as they can afford it. Prince Lébéné
considers all the men in his family brothers, but none of them know who will
succeed the king. That will only be revealed shortly before his death.
08:39
The
king’s eldest son is the local police chief. He thinks the royal rituals are
important and that his father, the current king, ought to insist on them more
rigorously.
09:02
Richard Béhanzin,
Prince of Dahomey
I was very surprised on the day that
his majesty took over the throne. He abolished a lot of customs. I wasn’t just
surprised, I was shocked.
09:29
Perhaps
tradition is less important to Lébéné. He doesn’t
know whether he wants to return home or even be king. The naturally
superstitious people here say his great-grandfather, King Béhanzin
possessed superhuman qualities which enabled him to resist the French. King Béhanzin has become a legend.
09.53
The
royal palace is now a museum.
09.58
The
upper class have always been in power here. The population had just enough to
survive. That could explain why Benin is the cradle of Voodoo belief.
The
colonial rulers tried to stamp out the cult, as did the communist military
regime of the 1970’s and 1980’s -
without success. Quite the opposite. In 1996, Benin became the first country in
the world to officially recognise Voodoo as a religion. Voodoo is now said to
have a following of 60 million people around the world.
For
hundreds of years people have consulted voodoo priests and used their potions -
most made out of animal skulls and
bones.
10.53
Prince
Lébéné is fascinated by the powerful cult. Here he
visits the Temple of the Pythons. The godpriest Dah Dangbénon (pronounced Dah Dangbeh-non)
sees the snakes as a talisman.
11.10
The
snakes live in this temple. A python is always placed around the neck of
visitors. They augur well - for
sickness, weddings and daily life in general.
11.32
It’s
the first time Lébéné’s been intimately acquainted
with a python. This trip to Benin is to help him decide whether to return and
live here. He himself doesn’t yet know whether he will really fit in.
11.54
The
snakes hold no fear for the youngest child of the Voodoo priest. For the
children, they are companions. Here in Quidah
(pronounced Kwui-dah) python snakes have been
worshipped as gods for two hundred years.
12.14
Devotees
of this temple are easy to recognise. Three months after their birth, they’re
marked for life. The five distinctive markings on the face symbolise a snake
bite.
12.38
Whenever
Lébéné makes one of his rare visits home, he always
goes back to his old school, which is a Catholic school. Nowadays everything is
lacking.
12.49
His
old classroom is derelict.
12.55
The
state coffers have been empty for 30 years. School in Benin is for those who
live in the cities, not the countryside. Like so many African countries,
Benin’s democratic goals have yet not been achieved. But Lébéné
really remembers school fondly. Here, his royal name made sure he did not fit in.
13.20
Lébéné Béhanzin,
Prince of Abomey
If you are called Béhanzin
then whatever you do, you won’t have any problems. In class, once the teacher
knew you were called Béhanzin, he teach you ten times
more than the others. So that’s the way it was then - there was a little bit of
glorification.
13.41
The
History teacher is talking about the heroic King Béhanzin,
Prince Lébéné’s great- grandfather.
13.49
The
teacher knows he’s got a visitor, but he doesn’t know who it is.
13.57
Unrecognised,
Prince Lébéné keeps quiet.
14.04
Only
when he decides to introduce Prince Lébéné does the
teacher find out just who his guest is.
14.26
Pupil
I’d like to ask him who gave him this
power.
14.35
Prince
Lébéné tells the pupils about the royal lineage and
his famous great-grandfather. His great-grandfather Béhanzin
died in exile in Algeria, sent there by the French authorities.
14.50
Lébéné Béhanzin
Béhanzin was not the only child. He was not
even the oldest. But thanks to his bravery the dignitaries who administered for
him taught him to be king and thereby gave him the power.
15.17
Prince
Lébéné uses this opportunity to go back to the
village where he once lived for five weeks with several delinquent teenagers
from Lyon in France. He wanted them to experience African life too, where
tradition and respect for one’s elders are still valued.
15.39
The
youngsters from Lyon helped them build this school building. Lébéné had collected money in France for the project. Women
from the surrounding villages have flocked together to thank him. Every dance
has a special meaning.
15.57
The
school is bursting at the seams and new buildings are needed. Everything is
done to honour Lébéné. The villagers are hoping for
more donations when he goes back to Europe.
16.11
Hounsokou Kouassi,
school spokesman
At that time a disaster had broken out
over our village. A tornado destroyed the school buildings. Everything was
damaged by the wind - virtually nothing remained of the school. The roof
literally flew through the air. It was terrible.
16.33
As
Prince Lébéné travels through the countryside, he
sees images of the gods in front of every village and house. There are small
temples everywhere. This one is fairly new and the gods are easily
recognisable. They’re always portrayed with an erect penis - a sign of their
power.
16.55
There
are hundreds of Voodoo houses for both men and women.
17.04
For
centuries Voodoo teachings have been passed from the old to the young. Many
came to the Voodoo house because they were sick.
17.14
They
stay for months, sometimes years and their families must pay for all their food
and the upkeep of the priests.
17.20
Voodoo Priest
The gods that we worship, have the same
position as the Christian God. The fetish is like a god, and that’s what we
worship. But we also have gods that can kill - for example the Thunder god.
17.46
Beyond
these public displays, believers who talk about what’s happening inside the
voodoo house would be killed instantly. Everyone and everything has a special
god. Here the god for sickness is being appeased. This dance expels afflictions
from the body. It is only danced at specific events.
18.11
To
be absolutely sure the sickness has left the body, the Voodoo believer is spat
on and hit. They also smear themselves with palm oil and egg yolks. This puts
them into a kind of trance.
18.42
The
highpoint of the ceremony, is to steal a knife from the Voodoo priests and
inflict injuries upon oneself. The priest restrains the believer. This way the
believer proves his courage to the gods.
19.05
Voodoo Priest
The knives are a part of it because
when someone is sick, then it’s this god that saves life.
19.16
Lébéné
keeps his Voodoo experiences to himself when he goes to visit his mother.
Although his father is King of Benin, he was actually born in neighbouring
Togo, where his mother still lives. She’s the only one of the king’s wives
who’s never lived with him at court. Fiercely independent, she brought her five
children up in Togo.
19.42
And
at her home she’s always discouraged her family from becoming involved in the
local voodoo beliefs.
19.52
She
says food is for eating not sacrifices.
20.15
There
are no images of voodoo in this house. Lébéné’s
mother Leontine is a practising Catholic.
20.27
She’s
distrusts the secrecy of voodoo.
20.30
Leontine Akonavi
Béhanzin
I don’t know anything about Voodoo. I
only know my God. I’m a Catholic. For us, Voodoo is the devil. It is not
clearly explained. A lot happens in secret. Nothing good comes out of Voodoo.
20.51
But
Lébéné isn’t so distrustful. This is the sacrifice,
the highlight of any voodoo festivities.
21.02
The
goat is being washed before it is sacrificed. It must be pure for the
ancestors.
21.15
Not
every Voodoo priest can celebrate the rituals. The priests generally have
contact in their temples with specific spirits and gods. Drinks are offered -
beer, mineral water, alcohol. This summons the spirits.
22.00
Now
the moment has come. The ancestors demand a living sacrifice. The sacrifices
used to be human - prisoners and slaves were offered to the gods. These days
it’s mainly animals.
22.21
The
villagers are enjoying the festival. They’re hoping the sacrifice will put the
gods in a good mood. Then, the spirits of the dead will rise.
22.37
Suddenly
they’re there. These are representatives of Voodoo spirits, or Phantoms. They
are in charge of keeping order. They know who is to blame for crimes in the
village. No-one at the ceremony is allowed to touch them.
23.02
The
believers are torn between admiration and fear. They run away from the spirits
because if they are asked for a gift and can’t provide it, they’ll be
threatened with the wrath of the dead. The fear is so deeply rooted, that many
have given up their last pennies. It’s good business for the spirits.
23.23
Prince
Lébéné also has to show respect. Like his father, the
spirits can only be approached on bended knees.
23.36
Lébéné Béhanzin
The festival is connected with our
ancestors. You simply have to believe in it. The representatives of the Phantoms have a special meaning for us.
23.52
The
visitor from France feels increasingly attracted to life in Africa. He’s fallen
in love with the picturesque village of Grand-Popo on the Gulf of Guinea.
24.04
Here
the fishermen set their nets in the timeless manner of the past.
24.26
Sixty
people work for each boat and net. It’s a communal effort with all the
villagers helping.
24.36
Even
Prince Lébéné is roped in.
24.44
Afterwards,
the catch is shared out. By European standards it’s a small haul but these
people can normally survive on the maize and vegetables they grow. Fish brings
them hard cash.
25.10
The
women look for the best fish to sell and then they are carried off to villages
kilometres away. It’s a simple life.
25.21
Prince
Lébéné may have found somewhere he’d like to settle,
but he’s still not made up his mind to return to Benin. He goes now to a Voodoo
priest to ask what the gods think about his future. First, the gods must be
tuned in with water or alcohol.
25.41
Prince
Lébéné’s lived in Europe for a many years, but as soon
as he arrives home, he leaves everything western behind him. He has visited
Voodoo priests before, and he believes the predictions were fulfilled every
time. Through the mouth of the magician, his ancestors will give him sorely
needed advice.
26.11
Stones,
bones, and chains are rattled and then placed on the ground. The Voodoo priests
claim, that they alone understand the wisdom of the gods.
26.33
Prince
Lébéné’s future is mapped out on the floor….
27.23
Prince
Lébéné takes his leave, his mind made up.
27.32
Lébéné Béhanzin,
Prince of Abomey
I asked the fetsishist
what the gods say. I wanted to know whether they approve of me staying in
Africa for good or not. I am happy because everything seems to be going well.
27.53
Voodoo
is important to people in West Africa, but the Catholic church also has its
place. Both beliefs are practised alongside each other, often by one and the
same person. Lébéné was brought up as a Catholic by
his mother, and yet he believes in Voodoo.
28.11
Lébéné Béhanzin
Voodoo is a faith. Christianity is an
imported religion. Belief in Voodoo is part of this country, we have to believe
in it.
28.28
Before
returning to France, Prince Lébéné goes to the
authorities in Grand Popo to try and find a small piece of land. Luckily for
him, a plot is for sale less than 100 metres from the beach.
28.43
He
and his brother, an architect, go and mark out the property with palm leaves.
Measurements are taken, plans are being drawn up. Lébéné
hopes to bring his family here one day soon. Meanwhile: another photo for wife Marise back in France.
29.10
Grand
Popo doesn’t usually allow land to be sold to foreigners. But, they’ve made an
exception for the prince.
29.30
Lébéné Béhanzin
People who’ve never left their country
don’t know the difficulties you face in a foreign country. Here, they’ve got
some illusions about France - that you’ve a good, peaceful and carefree life.
But it’s not like that. Europeans would confirm that immediately.
I’ve never lied to my brothers and said
‘Go to Europe, there’s an abundance of everything there - as well as jobs with
good money.’ I told them the truth. The last 13 years have just been a
struggle. It hasn’t been a life. There have been some very difficult moments.
I’ve only survived thanks to my courage and the fact that I was able to leave.
30.27
But
Lébéné’s journey is far from over. The land itself
cost a fortune: which his whole family clubbed together to lend him. Now he has
to go back to Lyon and save enough money to return and build a house in Grand
Popo. He is still in France. But Lébéné Béhanzin knows that in Africa, he is somebody.
CREDITS
Producer
- Marion Mayer-Hohdahl
Camera
- Jean-Pascal Bublex
Sound
- Alain Pentucci
Editor
- Stan Thomas