WASTE LAND
Filmed over nearly three years, the Academy Award-nominated 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.
Lucy Walker is an Emmy-winning British film director who has twice been nominated for an Academy Award and is renowned for creating riveting, character-driven nonfiction that delivers emotionally and narratively. Lucy’s films include feature documentaries The Crash Reel (2013), Waste Land (2010), Countdown to Zero (2010), Blindsight (2006), Devil’s Playground (2002) and short films, notably The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom (2011) and The Lion’s Mouth Opens (2014), as well as television, including twenty episodes of Nickelodeon Blue’s Clues.
Waste Land (doc.)
Director: Lucy Walker
Country: Brazil, UK
Year: 2010
Runtime: 98’
Language: Portuguese, English
Cast: Vik Muniz
Production: Almega Projects, O2 Filmes
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IN FOCUS: LUCY WALKER