Nana Benz

Becoming Black

October 2019 •German

In the 1960s, a white couple living in East Germany tells their dark-skinned child that her skin color is merely a coincidence. As a teenager, she accidentally discovers the truth. Years before, a group of African men came to study in a village nearby. Sigrid, an East German woman, fell in love with Lucien from Togo and became pregnant. But she was already married to Armin. The child is Togolese-East German filmmaker Ines Johnson-Spain. In interviews with Armin and others from her childhood years, she tracks the astonishing strategies of denial her parents, striving for normality, developed following her birth. What sounds like fieldwork about social dislocation becomes an autobiographical essay film and a reflection on themes such as identity, social norms and family ties, viewed from a very personal perspective.

The Dark Side of Chocolate

March 2010 •English

A team of journalists investigate how human trafficking and child labor in the Ivory Coast fuels the worldwide chocolate industry. The crew interview both proponents and opponents of these alleged practices, and use hidden camera techniques to delve into the gritty world of cocoa plantations.

Fixed

April 2020 •English

A friendly football match between Bahrein and Togo in 2010, turns out to be rigged, as the team representing Togo is a fake team set up by international gamblers. The bad guys turn out to be victims, the good guy is revealed as the international gambling criminal while the top crooks stay out of sight since they have the power to determine who’ll be convicted. A revealing peek into a hidden world.

Risk/Reward

February 2003 •English

A 2003 documentary film about women on Wall Street following the lives of four Wall Street women - a research analyst, a currency trader, an NYSE floor broker and a rookie investment banker.

Togo, le foot et la politique ne font qu'un

January 2008 •French

October 8, 2005. Togo, one of Africa's poorest countries, qualifies for the World Cup for the first time in its history. The achievement is not only historic; it also hastens the end of the bloody civil war that has been ravaging the country for several months. On the eve of the World Cup opening in Germany, hopes are high in Lomé, the capital of Togo, that the national team will restore pride and prosperity to an entire people. However, disillusionment quickly sets in. The team had not even entered the competition when it was already beset by endless internal problems. What if soccer, in the end, was nothing more than a reflection of the deep-seated problems that have been plaguing Africa for years?

Refuge(e)

March 2019 •English

Refuge(e) traces the incredible journey of two refugees, Alpha and Zeferino. Each fled violent threats to their lives in their home countries and presented themselves at the US border asking for political asylum, only to be incarcerated in a for-profit prison for months on end without having committed any crime. Thousands more like them can't tell their stories.

Break Free - Two People. Two Years. One Dream

March 2019 •German

When Lena and Ulli start the engine of their old Land Rover, Lady Terés, they have a plan: to drive from Hamburg to South Africa in six months. What they don't know yet is that they won't ever get there. Two totally different characters, jammed together in two square meters of space for almost two years, they experience what it really means to travel: leaving your comfort zone for good.

Je m'appelle Régine et je vous emmerde !

October 2025 •French

The Compaquitos in Togo

October 2024 •French

Six Scouts and Guides from France are heading to Togo, where they are joining forces with Togolese scouts to build a classroom. This documentary captures their human adventure and the cultural exchange that emerges at the heart of this solidarity project. Through the challenges of construction, a story of friendship, cooperation, and discovery unfolds between young people from two continents.

Atumpan: The Talking Drums of Ghana

January 1964 •English

This classic documentary features the story and sounds of the talking master drums of the Ashanti. Filmed in Ghana and narrated by Mantle Hood

Shady Chocolate

December 2012 •English

Ever since it was revealed that the chocolate industry is involved with child slavery in the Ivory Coast, the industry has been busy – due to consumer demands – explaining what exactly it does to actively fight trafficking and child labour. But does the industry live up to its own promises?In this investigative film, director Miki Mistrati tries to find out, if the chocolate industry – which is one of the largest corporations in the world – speak the truth, when they say that they provide education, medical care etc for the children of the Ivory Coast. But the project runs into trouble already from the get-go, because the embassy of the Ivory Coast won’t let Miki enter the country until he has an invitation – from the chocolate industry.

Vodu Between two worlds

March 2025 •French

Voodoo tradition is too often victim of misperceptions and stereotypes in the Western imagination. In Togo, Voodoo is revealed in all its splendour and complexity. Through spectacular ceremonies, consultations and rites, an intimate connection is revealed that unites the visible world with that of invisible forces. By giving a voice to those who live and practise Voodoo, an authentic and nuanced perspective emerges, revealing the richness of this mysterious spirituality. It's a genuine burst of curiosity about a living heritage and the sumptuousness of its traditions.

Bumpa

August 2025 •English

This documentary will explore the Afro-Caribbean dance, ‘whining’ alongside the practice of twerking to analyze respectability politics, pressures to accommodate whiteness, and gendered criticism of sexual expression within the Black diaspora. Using archival footage of West African dance, expert opinion from dancing and gender studies professors, and the active participation of partygoers in a dance experiment, Watkins will paint the picture of the defiance, autonomy, and ancestral veneration intrinsic to these traditional movement styles.

The Business of Creativity

May 2020 •English

Going into my interview with Laurel Greenfield, I thought the majority of our conversation would be about her inspiration for painting food and why she chose to pursue painting as a career. We spoke about that but ended up having a much bigger conversation about pursuing a creative career. We talked a lot about finding the balance between having a business plan and taking a leap of faith into the unknown, something anyone pursuing a creative field on their own can relate to.

Abenteuer in Togoland

November 1961 •German

A young German engineer is invited to Togo by the family of a West African student living in Germany. Here he observes the problems of the young state of Togo.

Dial Diali

Invalid date •English

Dial Diali slightly lifts the veil behind which Senegalese women secretly hide traditional artifices (small loincloths, pearl belts, henna and incense) that highlight their charm and eroticism, to accentuate their power of seduction on men. In Africa, a therapeutic and symbolic aspect of things is often hidden behind aesthetics. Olaf Diali pays tribute to the beauty, grace, finesse and intelligence of African women.

Widow Clicquot

July 2024 •English

After her husband's death, Madame Clicquot flouts convention by assuming the reins of their wine business, defying her critics and ultimately revolutionizing the champagne industry, establishing her as one of the world's first great businesswomen.

Küss mich, wenn es Liebe ist

March 2008 •German

Mildred Pierce

October 1945 •English

A hard-working mother inches towards disaster as she divorces her husband and starts a successful restaurant business to support her spoiled daughter.

Blasphemy

Invalid date •Danish

A woman balancing work and motherhood must decide which to sacrifice when she's targeted by a cyberattack and anonymous threats.