DRC: Maurice Pellosh's clients rediscover their portraits in documentary

With childlike wonder, Bernard and Romuald rediscover their portraits, taken more than 40 years ago. In a packed auditorium, during the premiere screening of the documentary “Maurice Pellosh: Memory in Images,” the emotion is palpable.

Romaund said, “it’s an emotional moment for us, because we are part of this film.”

A sentiment shared by Bernard, who added, “today, when I see this again, I first want to congratulate Maniélé (Emmanuèle), who has brought Maurice Pellosh out of obscurity and takes us back to our childhood. So there’s a double impact, and I’m very moved.”

The film traces the journey of one of the rare portrait photographers of the 1970s who preserved his negatives to this day.

Alongside Maurice Pellosh and French director Emmanuèle Béthery, the camera travels through homes, iconic locations, and historic neighborhoods, searching for the photographer’s former clients.

Director Emmanuèle Béthery says, “I didn’t choose Pellosh — Pellosh chose me. We were put in contact, and he wanted to share his photographic work with me and asked me to showcase it.”

Through this screening, an entire social and cultural memory comes back to life, showing how photography can become part of a shared heritage.

Today, more than 500 portraits by Maurice Pellosh are exhibited in Paris and in the United States.

The Congolese diaspora can rediscover loved ones, as well as prominent figures such as Alain Mabanckou, the internationally renowned Congolese writer — who, in this photograph, is only nine years old. Maurice Pellosh passed away in 2023, before the film’s release. But his images continue to tell the story.