Waste Land (2010)

http://www.wastelandmovie.com/

[swf]http://www.youtube.com/v/sNlwh8vT2NU?fs=1&hl=en_US.swf[/swf]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNlwh8vT2NU

Waste Land

Synopsis

Filmed over nearly three years, WASTE LAND follows renowned artist Vik Muniz as he journeys from his home base in Brooklyn to his native Brazil and the world's largest garbage dump, Jardim Gramacho, located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. There he photographs an eclectic band of “catadores”—self-designated pickers of recyclable materials. Muniz’s initial objective was to “paint” the catadores with garbage. However, his collaboration with these inspiring characters as they recreate photographic images of themselves out of garbage reveals both the dignity and despair of the catadores as they begin to re-imagine their lives. Director Lucy Walker (DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND, BLINDSIGHT and COUNTDOWN TO ZERO) and co-directors João Jardim and Karen Harley have great access to the entire process and, in the end, offer stirring evidence of the transformative power of art and the alchemy of the human spirit.

Reviews

The Hollywood Reporter

"A joy to watch despite the abject poverty it contains, "Waste Land" transcends the artist-doc format and has a broad emotional appeal that should ensure a warm reaction from theatrical audiences. Easily as concerned with social and environmental issues as it is with the fine-art career that sets it in motion, the movie never focuses on big issues at the expense of the individuals it encounters."

Variety

"Especially mesmerizing are the wordless sequences of the garbage pickers at work -- Moby-scored montages that hauntingly convey the otherworldly feel of the place."

Empire

"Beautifully captured, this portrait of a very proud and resourceful underclass rightly tugged the heartstrings of everyone who saw it."

The Huffington Post

"With a stirring score by Moby, it's a heart-warming tale of human dignity and innovation, and was a worthy winner of the World Cinema Documentary Audience Award."

Sharnacious - Blog

"Waste land is a documentary directed by the immensely talented Lucy Walker... I’m a huge fan of documentaries that capture the human spirit. I want stories about people. Real stories. And this movie, about these people, is so tragically touching."

Review St Louis

"... a wonderful documentary following the journey of Brazilian artist Vik Muniz... director Walker catches the emotions in such detail and sensitivity to each persons story... getting an inside view into how he works was just simply amazing."

Sundance Outsider

"We named Waste Land our favorite documentary of the festival because we knew nothing about the subject and everything about this film surprised us."