Biography

My name is Marie Ruwet, and I am a photojournalist and documentary filmmaker based in Dakar, Senegal. I often work between Belgium, my home country, and other destinations across Sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, I am part of the French agency Divergence and collaborate with AFP (Agence France-Presse).

I had the privilege of studying in Brussels, as well as in Norway and Denmark. This journey, split between Belgium and the Nordic countries, helped refine my documentary approach.

At 18, I decided to spend a year in Soweto, the biggest township in South Africa. I was a kindergarten teacher. That experience opened my eyes to the importance of storytelling, especially stories of resilience—a theme that deeply resonates with me and has remained central to my projects, which have been exhibited in Belgium, France, and Denmark. Whether exploring voluntary skin depigmentation in Senegal, the lives of Arhuaco women in Columbia, the mourning of a 10-year-old girl in Belgium, female genital mutilation in Guinea, healing through the ocean in Denmark, the disappearance of a remote village in Iceland, the talibé children in Senegal, or the emancipation of young Travellers in Belgium, my work often seeks to highlight the strength and perseverance that emerge from life’s challenges.

Over the years, I’ve built a portfolio close to my heart, often alongside my studies. Currently, I’m based in Senegal, where I am working on a long-term photo and writing project. I am also developing two photobooks: one on dairy production in Burkina Faso, which will take two more years to complete, and another on the disappearance of a village in Iceland’s Westfjords.

When filming or photographing, my priority is to establish an honest connection with the people I meet. I immerse myself in their daily lives by living with them or returning frequently, so the camera becomes secondary, and the focus shifts to genuine encounters. Whether capturing portraits of people who have been part of my life in South Africa or spending a year observing and photographing the lives of local dealers in Matongé, Brussels, the essence of my creative process lies in connection and exchange.