Marie Ruwet
Photojournalist & Documentary Filmmaker

I am a photojournalist and documentary filmmaker based in Dakar, Senegal, working across Sub-Saharan Africa as well as in other parts of the world, including the Nordic countries.

My path began at IHECS (Institut des Hautes Études des Communications Sociales) in Brussels, and continued through an Erasmus exchange at Volda University College in Norway and further studies at the Danish School of Media and Journalism (DMJX). This journey between Belgium and the Nordic countries shaped my documentary approach.

At 18, I spent a year in Soweto, South Africa's largest township. That experience opened my eyes to the power of storytelling, particularly stories of resilience. I returned four years later to make my first creative documentary film, Bontle, which has been screening in international festivals since 2025. I am currently in post-production on my first feature-length documentary, filmed in Madagascar.

My master's thesis examined the perceptions and methods of European photojournalists working in Africa, and how to avoid a miserabilist, stereotyped view of the continent, a question I remain deeply engaged with. I teach photojournalism at CESTI (a journalism school in Dakar), and have had the opportunity to lead trainings in Kenya, the Gambia, and at Polka in Paris. I also collaborate with ULB (Université Libre de Bruxelles) and several Canadian universities on participatory research projects.

In photojournalism and documentary photography, I explore subjects such as voluntary skin depigmentation in Senegal, the disappearance of a remote village in Iceland's Westfjords, safe spaces for LGBTQ+ people in Nairobi, the resilience of Malagasy women facing climate change, breast ironing in Côte d'Ivoire, solidarity among women in prison in Senegal, and meteorite hunters in Mauritania... My photography work falls into two strands: editorial work for international media, and longer-term documentary projects developed for international exhibitions. I am currently a freelance photojournalist for AFP and other international media, previously worked as a staff photojournalist for France TV, and am part of the French agency Divergence.

Taking time is central to how I work. I immerse myself in a subject for weeks, months, or even years, often building long-term projects and returning repeatedly to follow the same people and places over time. Understanding the context, the place, and the people I work alongside matters deeply to me, it's how I try to represent these stories as authentically and ethically as possible. Wherever I go, I am driven by documentary.