Ernest Cole: Lost and Found backdrop
Ernest Cole: Lost and Found logo
2024·Documentary·1h 45m
7.1
More than 60,000 of Ernest Cole’s 35mm film negatives were inexplicably discovered in a bank vault in Stockholm, Sweden. Most considered these forever lost, especially the thousands of pictures he shot in the U.S. Told through Cole’s own writings, the stories of those closest to him, and the lens of his uncompromising work, the film is a reintroduction of a pivotal Black artist to a new generation and will unravel the mystery of his missing negatives.
Directed by Raoul Peck
photographer
south africa
apartheid
exile
racial segregation
racism
black history
anti-apartheid
observational documentary
life and career
freelance photographer
street photography
environmental racism
documentary portrait
biographical documentary
anti-indigenous racism

Cast

LaKeith Stanfield
LaKeith Stanfield
Ernest Cole (Voice over)
Raoul Peck
Raoul Peck
Ernest Cole (French voice over)

Crew

Raoul Peck
Raoul Peck
Director
Alexei Aigui
Alexei Aigui
Original Music Composer
Laurence Lascary
Laurence Lascary
Executive Producer
Olivier Père
Olivier Père
Co-Producer
Raoul Peck
Raoul Peck
Producer
Stéphane Thiébaut
Stéphane Thiébaut
Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Aymeric Devoldère
Aymeric Devoldère
Supervising Sound Editor
Raoul Peck
Raoul Peck
Author
Wolfgang Held
Wolfgang Held
Camera Operator
Raoul Peck
Raoul Peck
Camera Operator

Popular Reviews

17 reviews
SorenLorenson44
SorenLorenson44
Ernest Cole: Lost and Found
Incredibly bleak. His life and work was so important and moving, I wish the movie had been good enough to capture it better. Will read more about him, but don't think this movie does it effectively.
Incredibly bleak. His life and work was so important and moving, I wish the movie had been good enough to capture it better. Will read more about him, but don't think this movie does it effectively.
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Imani Fwala
Imani Fwala
Ernest Cole: Lost and Found
Everyone should watch this cause i think you will find something to take away from this amazing documentary !! Ernest Cole i wished you could’ve seen how you never stopped being incredible
Everyone should watch this cause i think you will find something to take away from this amazing documentary !! Ernest Cole i wished you could’ve seen how you never stopped being incredible
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Thyme
Thyme
Ernest Cole: Lost and Found
This a very heavy topic and I hadn’t heard about Ernest Cole prior, so I’m greatful that I know about him now. But it wasn’t that great. The overlay of names and title cards felt like 2010 high school stuff. And the non linear story telling with some of the diary in between didn’t help it
This a very heavy topic and I hadn’t heard about Ernest Cole prior, so I’m greatful that I know about him now. But it wasn’t that great. The overlay of names and title cards felt like 2010 high school stuff. And the non linear story telling with some of the diary in between didn’t help it
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Thijmen
Thijmen
Ernest Cole: Lost and Found
Personal. Gripping. Moving. Shocking. Confronting.

This set a golden standard for me for documentaries. Makes me want to make one myself
Personal. Gripping. Moving. Shocking. Confronting.

This set a golden standard for me for documentaries. Makes me want to make one myself
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Rob
Rob
Ernest Cole: Lost and Found
London Film Festival 2024

I have to be honest and while this may be an interesting story, it seems the director has chosen to make a sleep inducing documentary. The first hour is mainly just a slide show of Cole's pictures with some AMSR narration a gentle underscore. Definitely a better film with a better and more coherent direction in there.
London Film Festival 2024

I have to be honest and while this may be an interesting story, it seems the director has chosen to make a sleep inducing documentary. The first hour is mainly just a slide show of Cole's pictures with some AMSR narration a gentle underscore. Definitely a better film with a better and more coherent direction in there.
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