Ernest Cole: Lost and Found

by Raoul Peck, France, 2024

Ernest Cole, a South African photographer was the first to expose the horrors of apartheid to a world audience. His book House of Bondage, published in 1967 when he was only 27 years old, led him into exile in NYC and Europe for the rest of his life, never to find his bearings. Raoul Peck recounts his wanderings, his turmoil as an artist and his anger, on a daily basis, at the silence or complicity of the Western world in the face of the horrors of the Apartheid regime. He also recounts how, in 2017, 60,000 negatives of his work were discovered in the safe of a Swedish bank.

Festivals & awards

Cannes 2024: Ĺ’il d'or du meilleur documentaire
Césars 2025: nommé pour le meilleur documentaire
Visions du Réel 2025: Raoul Peck, invité d'honneur

artwork

Credits

Original Title
Ernest Cole: Lost and Found
Title
Ernest Cole: Lost and Found
Directed by
Raoul Peck
Country
France
Year
2024
Screenplay
Ernest Cole, Raoul Peck
Film Editing
Alexandra Strauss
Soundtrack
AlexeĂŻ AĂŻgui
Cinematography
Wolfgang Held, Moses Tau, Raoul Peck
Sound
Stéphane Thiébaut, Aymeric Devoldère
Production
Tamara Rosenberg, Raoul Peck
Formats
DCP
Runtime
106 min.
Language
English/d/f

Pro Material

artwork artwork artwork artwork artwork artwork artwork artwork artwork artwork

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Press voices

«A heartbreaking elegy to the photographer, and a kind of mystery. Eloquently edited and structured, Peck has crafted another timely documentary which should spark conversations about the crushing impact of intolerance.» Screen

«Un film passionnant où les clichés d’Ernest Cole semblent s’animer sous nos yeux.» L'Humanité

«Une puissante enquête où images et témoignages révèlent le regard et la souffrance d’un 'homme noir' doublement victime de la ségrégation.» Bulles de culture

«A powerful testament. A reflection on the enduring nature of white supremacy and the power of visual storytelling in the fight for justice.» Deadline

«Documentaire d’une puissance inouïe, Ernest Cole, photographe relie l’histoire d’un homme à celle de tous les hommes victimes des inégalités et des exclusions.» La Septième Obsession

«La courte vie, racontée par ses clichés, d’un des plus grands photographes de l’apartheid.» Les Inrocks