LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Photography is known for its power to capture a singular moment in one frame.

But collectively and as time passes, photographs can take on much more meaning.

Filmmaker Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine used a chance encounter with a photographer in a small Ugandan village to bring to life the everyday stories of its residents.

His film "Memories of Love Returned" premiered today at the New York African Film Festival.

And he spoke with Ali Rogin as part of our arts and culture series Canvas.

ALI ROGIN: Thank you so much for being here.

This journey began all the way back in 2002 when you met Mr. Kibaate Aloysius Ssalongo.

What drew you to him and to his work?

NTARE GUMA MBAHO MWINE: Kibaate Aloysius Ssalongo is a rural photographer from Mbirizi, Uganda, whose work had spanned over five decades, documenting thousands and thousands of people's lives.

And by chance, I stumbled upon his studio when my car broke down in his hometown of Mbirizi and I felt like I struck a gold mine.

ALI ROGIN: Tell me about what it was like seeing those images for the first time and realizing what a treasure trove you had stumbled upon.

NTARE GUMA MBAHO MWINE: It was like looking back in time, really.

And not just looking back in time in a broad sense, but looking back in time in terms of love and memories of love that have been captured on film lovers, couples on their wedding day, graduations, thousands upon thousands of people celebrating these precious moments in their life, all captured by him over a five decade period.

ALI ROGIN: Were you surprised by the depth and the variety of responses these images conjured up in people?

NTARE GUMA MBAHO MWINE: If you could imagine now we carry so many photos on our phones and imagine if the thousands of people that, you know, lost their phones for 50 years.

So family secrets, relationships, things that sort of been kept in the shadows were all of a sudden put on public display.

And the range of response from, you know, sheer ablation to exuberance to shock that these pictures somehow resurfaced was all on display and it was incredible.

ALI ROGIN: Mr. Kibaate's photos also capture a really fascinating moment in time for Uganda as a country.

There are images of women in miniskirts which you hear somebody explain were banned during the Idi Amin dictatorship of the 1970s.

There's also beautiful images of different same sex relationships, whether romantic or platonic.

And now, of course, Uganda has its own controversy with anti LGBTQ laws in effect there.

So what does it mean to have these particular periods in Ugandan history come to life again in this way?

NTARE GUMA MBAHO MWINE: What's remarkable is Kibaate's work covered the Everyman.

He didn't really discriminate.

He covered everyone.

He took these photographs.

And that, for me, speaks to his unique talent, because he wasn't sort of going by the rule book.

He was following his heart and following other people's heart who wanted to celebrate the love that they shared with each other.

ALI ROGIN: You noted how Mr. Kiabate took so many photos of the mundane, of the Everyman.

So often, especially in Western, in American culture, the images that we see from the African continent tend to be those of conflict, of suffering and pain.

Does that once again, deepen the meaning of these photos, given that they show people in various stages of everyday life?

Many enjoy many of the happiest moments of their life.

Weddings, celebrations, just the variety of the vitality of the Ugandan people on display.

NTARE GUMA MBAHO MWINE: One of the things that we all is a universal thing, is a love of photographs and being photographed and celebrating a moment by preserving it in a photograph.

And I think that's one of the things that's resonated with audiences who've seen the film.

And I think, as you said, its moments of love have been overlooked on the continent.

And it's time this film celebrates those moments of love that have been captured by Kibaate.

ALI ROGIN: You also weave your own story into the film in such interesting ways.

And I wonder what it was like for you, talking about and bringing up all of your personal memories.

How did it affect your relationship with your own personal story and experience?

NTARE GUMA MBAHO MWINE: No, it's.

I mean, this has been a labor of love for over two decades.

There have been people in my life who've passed, who we meet in the film, who've passed away during the filming process.

I myself had a personal health scare that is revealed in the film as well.

And these are all reminders that you know our time is limited and you know you have to find those moments that you can treasure and celebrate and share those and not squander them.

And that's where in the title lies "Memories of Love Returned."

ALI ROGIN: Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, thank you so much for your time.

The film is Memories of Love Returned.

NTARE GUMA MBAHO MWINE: Thank you, Ali.