We spoke with Oscar-nominated filmmaker Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro) about his latest documentary Ernest Cole: Lost and Found released on November 22, 2024.
This film focuses on South African photographer Ernest Cole who became South Africa’s first Black freelance photographer, his work focused on the era of apartheid, capturing the injustice against Black people in South Africa. The film focuses on Cole’s life as he moved from South Africa to the United States, exiled from his home country, and using his pictures to weave a tale of homesickness, heartbreak, and the small moments of joy. This powerful film won L’Œil d’or, le prix du documentaire (Best Documentary), at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.
The Knockturnal spoke with director Raoul Peck about showcasing Ernest Cole’s life and his photographic journey: “He is the first to have made photos from the belly of the beast. And managed to get those photos out, get all his negatives out of South Africa. Because there was censorship and each one of his photos are basically a crime,” Peck declared.
Peck spoke about how the Cole family reached out to him after uncovering thousands of negatives from Cole mysteriously found in a Swedish bank vault, with the family wanting to curate a tribute to him through a film.
“I was approached by the family who had been trying for the last 10 years to make a film about Ernest Cole. And retrieved all his body of work. And they were hoping for a revival of his work because he had been forgotten all these years. So it was clear for me there was a story that could have all the different layers that I make sure that I have in my films,” Peck spoke. It was also poignant due to how this is a cautionary tale and how his story speaks about the type of world we are living in.
To give a voice to Ernest Cole, Academy Award nominee LaKeith Stanfield read excerpts from Cole’s diary to give credence and for a brief moment, bring Cole back to life.
“I want Ernest Cole to tell his story himself. I want to empower him back to get his voice back and to be the one to present his work to the world. What he was not able to do when he was alive,” Peck explained.
During this politically volatile time, Peck also spoke about how this film could be a way to inspire Black photojournalists now that everyone has a camera in their pockets, “We will see… something will never change is that you still have to be able to tell a story,” Peck said. He spoke on how becoming an artist, or photojournalist, or painter for example takes time, and not everyone can have the experience or sensibilities to become an artist.
Ernest Cole: Lost and Found is now playing in select theaters in the states of California, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, New York, Ohio, and Texas. Get tickets here.
