Waste Land (2011)

Waste Land (2011)

A social documentary based around the lives of garbage pickers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as a man by the name of Vik Muniz creates art out of recycled material. The film starts with an introduction into Vik Muniz's career as an artist and how he is reveled as "one of the greatest [artists] of our generation"; swiftly leading into his desire to change the lives of the catadores, only to discover that he would become the changed.

This beautiful film shows what happens when art meets social change. Brazilian artist, Vik Muniz decides to leave his home in New York to the place of his birth, Rio de Janeiro. Instead of going to his old neighborhood, however, he goes to the largest landfill in the world and begins to interview the garbage pickers and determines that he wants to help them become independent. He does this by first taking beautifully staged photos of a range of people, enlarging these portraits, and using trash to highlight them. The art is then showcases at London and Rio art galleries and auctions and he makes thousands of dollars which all goes towards one of them who runs a local advocacy group.

The stories of each of these pickers is moving and one is moved by their dreams to move out of their dismal surroundings. They each justify their low jobs by saying that at least they're not prostitutes and that what they're doing is respectful. By the end of the film, we're all rooting for each of them that they'll actualize their dreams. We are reminded of the power of art to transform people's lives. Even though the film is slow in places, it ends leaving the viewer hopeful of what can happen when people use their talents to help others improve their lives. I recommend this film wholeheartedly.

1. Storytelling: 8/10

2. Cinematography: 8/10

3. Deeper Meaning: 9/10

4. Targeted Audience: Those who are interested in art and its role in transforming culture. Latin culture.

5. Connections to other works and/or ideas: other stories on life: art, poverty, telling our stories in creative and restorative ways

6. Quality of Research: 9/10