At the forefront of the multiplication of look-alikes

These days, photographer François Brunelle is very busy responding to incessant calls and emails from media around the world. And for good reason: the remarkable length of his work over the past two decades has enriched knowledge in the emerging field of epigenetics. And The Press had his small part to play in this story…

In 2004, François Brunelle granted The Press an interview about the new project that inhabited him. This freelance photographer was then invested with the amusing mission of photographing lookalikes: people who knew neither Eve nor Adam, but nevertheless shared undeniable physical similarities. At the time, his goal was to simply make beautiful photos, which would perhaps be listed in some sort of “coffee table” book. But fate had other plans for him…

On the day of our interview, he received meteorologist Pascal Yiacouvakis and Jean-Marc Pilon, an educational adviser, in his studio in Old Montreal. The two men had agreed to join the photographic collection of doppelgangers by Francois Brunelle.

Eighteen years later, François Brunelle has photographed more than 250 lookalikes in 30 cities around the world. His project has been the subject of a documentary and several exhibitions. And now his work as an artist takes a scientific turn with the work of Dr.^r Manel Esteller, Spanish researcher who is interested in DNA, which could take shape thanks to his visual repertoire of look-alikes.

“The article of The Press gave a good wave to the project. From that moment, we received several emails of people who wanted to direct us to look-alikes. »

Doppelganger Spotter

In a study published at the end of August in the scientific journal Cell Reportsthe D^r Manel Esteller revealed the findings of his study which used facial recognition to compare the similarities of the DNA of a group of twins with that of doppelgangers photographed by François Brunelle.

The result of this analysis is disconcerting: the researcher demonstrated that the 16 look-alikes had more similar genes than the twins… Where the doppelgangers of “blood” were more alike, it was at the level of the epigenome and the microbiome.

“The genetic factor brings them together, but the epigenetics and the microbiome separate them,” wrote Manel Esteller.

It was in Madrid that François Brunelle first met the D^r Esteller. Despite the fact that he expressed some doubts at the start, because he wanted above all to respect the privacy of his subjects, the photographer decided to trust this researcher who is a “superstar of science”.

On the way to mirrors

By chatting with François Brunelle, one has the impression of hearing the playful story of an artist with the heart of a child. He is the first to be surprised by the trajectory taken by this hunt for look-alikes, which began with a real fascination for these beings who look alike, without however being related by blood. He himself has been compared to Rowan Atkinson, alias Mister Bean, even if he would have preferred to have the features of James Dean.

One thing leading to another, his work was seen by the right people: a journalist specializing in techno in Los Angeles, young Catalan advertising wolves, New York journalist David Levine… A trajectory that made the Los Angeles project rebound. Angeles to Bogotá via Berlin and Toronto.

He photographed all kinds of people, always maintaining the same clean black and white aesthetic. His subjects always look us in the eye, with a touching and enigmatic intensity.

The diversity of bodies and genders speaks to us of acceptance, of human encounters, of inclusion, even of reconciliation. The ephemeral nature of the business also adds a layer of complexity to the project.

“The two guys in the photo used in one of the New York Timesfor example, don’t look alike at all today, because one has remained the same and the other has gained weight”, underlines the photographer.

“I don’t do photography for competitions, but rather to please myself and satisfy my passion”, says the one who aspires to an exhibition where his photos would be deployed with amplitude.

His next ambition as a photographer of doppelgangers ? Pairing an Israeli and Palestinian duo, a project that could be made possible thanks to the assistance of a Toronto duo who have expressed their willingness to play the game.

“The interest of my photos is to show peace and the impression that my subjects are fine the way they are, happy in their own skin. I think it helps people get interested in positive images. It’s reassuring to find harmony in a world as chaotic as ours. »