Le Monde asked photographer Jean-Matthieu Gautier to create a series of facial portraits. The people photographed have no connection to this article. Pictured here: Raïssa Bakari, Louis Masson and Marco Beline at Les Champs Libres cultural center in Rennes, on March 4 and 5, 2026. JEAN-MATTHIEU GAUTIER FOR LE MONDE
My wife and I became parents at 27. We were both working at the time and had enrolled our son in day care. When I went to pick him up those first evenings, I hesitated over several babies. I tried to understand why I was having so much trouble recognizing my own child. On the internet, I discovered the existence of a neurological disorder that prevents the recognition of faces: prosopagnosia. According to various scientific studies, between 2% and 3% of the population are affected by this disability. That day, everything became clear: I don't recognize any faces.
I remembered the last page of a notebook I kept as a child. I used to write down the color of my elementary school friends' coats, and next to it, their names. At that time, I hated football because everyone would take off their jackets to mark the goals. I could no longer identify my teammates. No one wanted me on their team.
