Ernest Cole: Lost and Found

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1:52

Ernest Cole: Lost and Found

Released Nov 22, 2024

1h 46m

Documentary

Biography

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Popcornmeter

97%

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36 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

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.

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

It’s through his remarkable pictures of South Africa and Black America, however, that we really hear his voice.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 9, 2025

Full Review

Lucy Peters

Little White Lies

In its strongest moments, the film is paced with real tempo – a sense of sophisticated motion that runs in tandem with its subject matter of the concrete, bustling, yet fluid cityscape.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 8, 2025

Full Review

Jonathan Romney

Financial Times

Peck’s film amazes and appals but, above all, inspires.

Rated: 5/5

Mar 6, 2025

Full Review

Javier Ocaña

El Pais (Spain)

...a captivating and hypnotic documentary...[Full review in Spanish]

May 16, 2025

Full Review

Paula Arantzazu Ruiz

Cinemanía (Spain)

Peck works with diverse materials—including actor and poet Lakeith Stanfield as the narrative voice, playing Cole... to give solidity to a story replete with more than a few gaps. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 3/5

May 14, 2025

Full Review

Jason Di Rosso

The Screen Show (ABC Radio Australia)

Uses multiple archival sources, including Cole’s own writings, and some touches of artistic license, to build a moving and informative portrait.

Apr 15, 2025

Full Review

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Raoul Peck

Director

LaKeith Stanfield

Ernest Cole

Raoul Peck

Writer

Raoul Peck

Producer

Tamara Rosenberg

Producer

Laurence Lascary

Line Producer

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Synopsis

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.

Director: Raoul Peck
Producer: Raoul Peck, Tamara Rosenberg
Screenwriter: Raoul Peck, Raoul Peck
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Arte France Cinéma
Genre: Documentary, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 22, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 17, 2025
Box Office (Gross USA): $57.9K
Runtime: 1h 46m

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