Discovering Benin, West Africa

A five part, three hour documentary about life in Benin on DVD.

Price has been reduced!

 (Profits benefit the Beninese people who appear in the video)

Video of Intro for Each Episode:  (back to top) (1 Minute 27 seconds- If it says 1 min 21 seconds try playing it again or choose another link to get it to play to the end- the last frame should say Episode 4- Voodoo)

Files are in .mpg format.  The greater the size, the greater the quality of picture and sound.  Note that these files are highly compressed so they can be easily downloaded from the internet, and the quality of the audio and video on your DVD will be much better.   The intro contains clips from most of the episodes so it serves as a good preview.       

 Thank you to Thom Pernice, Owner of  InHouse Video, Peekskill, NY for donating his services to make this preview possible 

Watch the Intro and other clips from the video on You Tube:

Click below to see the preview:  

I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Benin from 1995-1997.  Last July (2004) I went back for the first time since I left in 1997, and while I was there I filmed this five part documentary.  I spent innumerable hours at my town's public access TV station using their professional equipment to edit the footage into a five part, three hour long documentary about Benin. Each episode contains subtitles, voice over commentary, and maps of Benin.  The episodes and topics covered in each episode are below.  

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Episode 1	Topics
	Bonne Arrivée!  (Approx. 30 mins)
	Greetings
	Meet My Neighbors
	Basenjis-Dogs indigenous to Benin
	Getting Ready for our party
	Beninese dance show: Bonne Arrive, Attendez Monsieur, Conga line, Magic Trick, etc.
	Fish and Rice
	Yovo's dance (or try I should say)
	Everyone dancing
Episode 2	Topics
	Life in Allada (Approx. 30 mins)
	Our hotel
	A tour of my old Peace Corps house
	Adjacome- (A tour of my neighbors' houses)
	A tour of Allada
	The Yovo song
	Allada market
	Bush taxis
Episode 3	Topics
	Business in Benin (Approx. 30 mins)
	COPRATO- Tour of a Pineapple Drying Factory and Pineapple Fields
	Angelo's shoe repair workshop
	Jean's sculpture workshop and explanation of the apprenticeship process.
	Jean's house under construction
	Solange's middle class house and a her seamstress workshop
	Arthur's cabinet and furniture making workshop
Episode 4	Topics
	Voodoo (Approx. 1 hour)
	King of Allada and his royal palace
	A tour of the village of Agongblame (the setting for the Gambara Voodoo Ceremony)
	Gambara Voodoo ceremony- offerings, drumming, dancing, and dancers falling into trances
	Having our Fah read by my bocono. (Fah priest) Fah is a traditional African form of divination like Tarot Card Reading.
	Ja Voodoo cult chicken sacrifice ceremony ( Ja is a god that protects against snake bites and witchcraft)
Episode  5	Topics
	Tourism Beninese Style (Approx. 30 mins)
	A trip through Ganvie (the village on stilts built over a lagoon sometimes know as the "African Venice")
	A Tour of the Village of Lissegazoun by motorcycle taxi
	Crossing lake Ahemé in a pole propelled pirogue
	The slave road in Ouidah: where slaves were marched to the beach and put on the slave ships.
	Traditional fishermen on the beach of Ouidah: They are pulled up on the beach by hand
	Gran Popo: the Beninese beach paradise

Each episode features the Beninese singer Kaleta, and his song "Gbeto-Magnon" from  from his latest album, Kaléta Jaa.    He generously donated the usage of his song for this DVD.

What People are saying about "Discovering Benin" (back to top)

Discovering Benin West Africa is exactly what I was looking for, but didn't really think I would find. It is filmed by an former Peace Corp worker on a return visit to Benin. This is not a professional travel film, but it is an honest look at real life in Benin. I lent this DVD to a friend who is going to Benin on a mission trip. This film will really help her know what to expect, and prepare her for the living conditions she will experience. It shows the market, the homes, the people; everything you would want to know before going to Benin. There needs to be more films like this! Thanks to Fon is Fun for producing this helpful resource.

----"I would like to congratulate you for the work you did on this DVD.  To start, the introduction is really good.  The topics that you chose are very good also.  You can see documentaries on TV such as about Benin, but you don’t see small details like you did.  One of the things that I liked the most about your documentary is the way in which you did your documentary is like entering into the daily lives of the people, for example when you were showing the interior of their houses, your sculptor friend’s house under construction and the shoe repairman’s workshop.  All of that was fantastic.  The fact that you lived there so long permitted you to gain entry to places that most people would not have been able to see.  The only similar footage I’ve seen similar to this was when a friend of mine, whom I’ve known a long time, went to China (his family is of Chinese descent).  He took video of the houses, his family, and many intimate details that gave me a very good idea how the people live there.  That was something that I could not have seen on the Discovery Channel or any other TV show.

I really loved your DVD and it has become one of my most prized DVD’s for all that its making involved and represents.  When I was reading your stories on your website I could imagine how the landscape looked, but now I know much better what it’s like there and what the people and houses are like.    

I try to imagine what it’s like to live in a place like Benin where the conditions are so different from those that you were used to in the United States.  I really admire your ability to have adapted to that.  Seeing your DVD should teach us who live in countries where the conditions are so much better than in Benin.  Even Mexico has very poor places that could be compared to Benin.  I believe we must understand that material objects are not the most important things in our lives, but our modern society has made us think the opposite.  The people there are very poor, but nonetheless they seem happy.  Again I heartily congratulate you for your documentary.  I would like at some point explore such countries as Benin.  Unfortunately I haven’t been able to take such a trip but as for now I’ll be happy seeing documentaries by people like you who have the opportunity to go."  

 -Alfredo Ávila (Ciudad Juárez, México)  

---"I reviewed your latest DVD's.  They are a continuation of your humanitarian efforts for the Republic of Benin.  It goes without saying that you did a very good job. I recommend that people buy these DVD's, after all the proceeds go back to the people in the footage. Even though I was born in Benin, I feel like a visitor watching them. I think every African American in search of realities of the past should visit those places. Bravo Chris!"  

-Kaleta-   KALETAMUSIC.COM and AKOYAMUSIC.COM /  Read more about Kaleta's music which is featured on the DVD.

---"We got the Benin DVD and loved it.  We watched the first three episodes last night.  Great celebration and dance footage.  Wonderful overview of businesses and a nice look at the market.  Funny study of various toilets and Kaleta's music was very good too.  Watching it made me feel like I was back in Benin, and it made me miss Benin.  It was beautifully done and so real.  Thank you very much for putting this together and making it available to us all." 

-Annaliese Hausler-Akpov-i (Benin PC 90 - 92, Benin English Teaching Fellow 92 - 95)

---"Just wanted to let you know I received the Benin DVD's yesterday -- and although I had lots of "other stuff" to do last night - I couldn't stop watching and stayed up 'til midnight to see all five episodes!  What a a wonderful documentary about these beautiful people and their culture.  Of course, I loved seeing the Benin Basenji babies, and the other small glimpses of village dogs scattered throughout - but I really also enjoyed the "low key" commentary you provided, with such a personal perspective.  Your admiration and respect for the people of Benin came through loud and clear, as did their mutual feelings for you.  I can't wait to show parts of the video to my son (who's almost 13).  His 7th grade class just finished a unit on slavery -- and those last scenes of the video ("The Point of No Return") are so poignant...  I really enjoyed the music on the DVD's also.  I will be ordering two more copies .   Congratulations on this labor of love - and thank you for sharing it, too!"    

 -Karla Schreiber-

---"You did a really wonderful job with the DVD's.  I was impressed by how realistic everything was.  I already told a number of my friends and they are coming over to watch.  I have a couple of friends that could use parts of it in classes.  You really did a nice job!"    

-Stephen Arbogast- (RPCV Benin, Kétou '96-'98)

---"By far the most intimate look into the Beninese culture I've seen"        

Kori Hansen- Marlyn Productions

Countries where "Discovering Benin" has been sold:

Belgium, Benin, Canada, Croatia, England, Fiji, France, Germany, Iceland, Israel, México, Senegal, Switzerland, United States, New Zealand, Denmark, Netherlands.

Ordering Information (back to top)

 The cost is $25 for all five episodes (two DVD's) including shipping anywhere in the world.  All profits (approximately $17 per DVD set sold at $25) will be donated to my friends in Benin who appeared in the video.  They are desperately poor and your purchase of the DVD's will help them tremendously.  I will make sure the money is used for education expenses or for health care needs.  For more information on how the funds are being used, click here.

To order a copy, pay with Pay Pal using your credit card or withdraw directly from your bank account.  Send payments to my user ID which is the same as my e-mail address:  cstarace@yahoo.com or use the "Buy Now Button".  

See how the purchase of this DVD is helping the Beninese people 

One Copy- $25

Buy Two Copies and Save $5.  Pay only $45.

Buy Three Copies and Save $10.  Pay only $65.

Make a Donation to the very needy Beninese people who appear in the video

See how your donation will be used to help the Beninese people in the Video

You can mail me a check also.  E-mail me and I'll give you my mailing address.  When ordering be sure to give me your shipping address.   If you are ordering outside the United States, be sure to tell me if you want your DVD in PAL or in NTSC format.  Click here for a list of countries and their TV standards.

I usually ship within two business days of receiving your order. 

Thanks for your interest and support!

Technical notes: (back to top)

• The DVD's used are recorded on  -R DVD discs.  Check your DVD player's manual to make sure your DVD player can read this DVD format.  Most recent DVD players can read this format however older DVD players may not have this ability.  I sell the DVD in both NTSC and PAL formats.  If you are ordering from the United States, I'll send you NTSC.  If you are ordering from other countries, be sure to tell me what version you need.  NTSC or PAL.  For a list of what format each country uses, click here.

GO-TV Airing Schedule (back to top)

This series ran on GO-TV (Greater Ossining-TV, Public Access, Channel 18)  in January, February and March 2004.  The station manager said that she will run Discovering Benin again in the summer.  Check the GO-TV schedule or mail them directly for an update as to when it will run again.  GO-TV is a Cablevision public access TV station so only Cablevision customers will receive it.  To see if you should receive GO-TV go to the Coverage Area Page  

To Get the current schedule go to the Schedule Page

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