LaKeith Stanfield is set to lend his voice to Raoul Peck’s upcoming documentary, “Ernest Cole: Lost and Found.” The film delves into the life and work of Ernest Cole, a pioneering Black freelance photographer in South Africa, whose early images depicted Black life under apartheid, sending shockwaves globally.
Magnolia, securing North American rights from Range Media Partners, plans a theatrical release later this year. Raoul Peck, acclaimed for works like “I Am Not Your Negro” and the Peabody Award-winning HBO miniseries “Exterminate All the Brutes,” is directing the documentary.
Ernest Cole fled South Africa in 1966, living in exile in the U.S. His extensive photography in New York City and the American South, along with his book “House of Bondage,” denounced apartheid, solidifying him as a prominent photographer. Posthumously, over 60,000 of his film negatives were discovered in a Stockholm bank vault. Peck’s film will narrate Cole’s story through his writings, recollections, and previously unseen images, aiming to introduce this pivotal Black artist to a new generation.
Expressing admiration for Raoul Peck, Stanfield stated, “I’m honored to collaborate with him on ensuring Ernest Cole’s essential story is heard.” The Ernest Cole Family Estate, led by Leslie Matlaisane, Cole’s nephew, fully supports the production, granting Peck exclusive access to the family’s archive.
Produced by Raoul Peck and Tamara Rosenberg, with Mk2 Films handling international rights, the film is a collaboration between Stanfield, represented by CAA, Stark Management, ID, and Ginsburg Daniels Kallis, and Peck, represented by Range Media Partners and Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein Lezcano Bobb & Dang. The filmmakers aim to bring Cole’s impactful narrative to the forefront, resonating with a contemporary audience.
LaKeith Stanfield’s credits include “Get Out,” “Knives Out,” and “Haunted Mansion.”