The Photograph

2020 1h 46m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 219

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When famed photographer Christina Eames dies unexpectedly, she leaves her estranged daughter, Mae, hurt, angry and full of questions. When Mae finds a photograph tucked away in a safe-deposit box, she soon finds herself delving into her mother's early life -- an investigation that leads to an unexpected romance with a rising journalist.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Issa Rae
Mae Eames
LaKeith Stanfield
Michael Block
Chanté Adams
Christina Eames
Y'lan Noel
Young Isaac
Kelvin Harrison Jr.
Andy Morrison
Lil Rel Howery
Kyle
Teyonah Parris
Asia
Jasmine Cephas Jones
Rachel Miller

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Stella Meghie
Writers: Stella Meghie
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 6

ERA

Did you know

Released 6 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Stella Meghie, shot by Mark Schwartzbard. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Robert Glasper. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Shannon Baker Davis shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Issa Rae and LaKeith Stanfield and Chanté Adams carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt7798646 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Stella Meghie directs. Mark Schwartzbard behind the camera. Robert Glasper scores. Shannon Baker Davis cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 6 years ago.
2Directed by Stella Meghie, shot by Mark Schwartzbard. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Robert Glasper. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Shannon Baker Davis shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Issa Rae and LaKeith Stanfield and Chanté Adams carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt7798646 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Classified under 11 themes, including "new york city", "journalist", "photographer", "louisiana".

The technical file

Cinematography: Mark Schwartzbard
Original score: Robert Glasper
Editing: Shannon Baker Davis
Production design: Loren Weeks
Makeup / hair: Marjorie Durand
Stunt coordinator: Chris Cenatiempo
Runtime: 106 min · 1h 46m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $16,000,000
Box office: $20,690,779
Return: 129% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: The Photograph (2020)

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Stella Meghie

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Crazypiglady2023-03-09
★ 6/10
Mae, looking into her late photographer mother's New Orleans past, meets Mike, researching the same story as a journalist. The film journeys between New York and New Orleans and the earlier life of Mae's mother alongside her own. It Stylishly explores relationships and how they can be left unresolved and how the mistakes of our parents influence our own choices.
CinemaSerf2024-04-15
★ 6/10
"Michael" (LaKeith Stanfield - who has great taste in coats/jackets) is a journalist who travels to interview a man who has just lost his wife. During his visit to the man's home he spies a photograph of a girl taken by Chanté Adams ("Christina"). Once back in New Orleans, he tries to track down more work from this photographer and that introduces him to "Mae" (Issa Rae), the assistant curator at a gallery with whom he falls in love. The remainder of this rather ponderous tale takes us through their pretty ordinary courtship and involves a touch too much coincidence for me - in the end it just ends up being a slightly quirky love story with competent performances from the two lead actors. At times the soundtrack is wonderful - soulful and melodic jazz typical of the Louisiana location but otherwise this is just an unremarkable 100 minutes.