DIFF REVIEW: ‘Waste Land’
A documentary by Lucy Walker, “Waste Land” which follows Brasilian-born artist Vik Muniz over a two-year journey in which he creates one of his most elaborate pieces. Muniz, who now lives and works in Brooklyn, New York, is known for his extensive use of unorthodox materials in his art — foods, garbage, found materials. This project was to create a body of art using materials from the world’s largest landfill on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro with the help of the workers, or “pickers”, who sort through the mountains of trash to find recyclable goods to sell to brokers.
Muniz and his assistants hope to create a project which will change the lives of those it touches. We are introduced to several of the pickers — workers who become models for his pieces and who also take time from their jobs in the landfill to help construct the works in the studio.
We’re introduced to the landfill, Jardim Gramacho, a horrible place. It’s a huge mountain of garbage and filth with both people and animals scavenging for scraps. Pickers sort through fresh garbage to find plastics, paper and cans to sell to the recycling brokers. They work under horrible conditions — some as long as 16 hours a day — for $20-$25 USD per day.
The film is not judgemental and does an excellent job of showing us their dignity and humanity. We meet Tiao, who has organized the pickers and is the head of their “union” of sorts, hoping to better the working and living conditions of the workers. Zumbi collects discarded books he finds and hopes to someday open a library in the slum or favela in which he lives. Erma was a trained cook who now feeds the workers using discarded food she finds. One of the pickers tells us “It hasn”t killed me yet.”
As the project unfolds, we see how the discarded items are transformed into art, which also serves as a metaphor for the transformation of the pickers and their exposition to another world outside the landfill.
Visually, the film is very personal at times. It walks you into the lives and homes of the pickers as a guest. At other times, the visuals are striking and powerful, especially scenes that very effectively show you the scope and scale of the landfill.
“Waste Land” has all the earmarks of great cinema — a compelling story, rich characters, humor, drama and triumph.
Many times, real life is far more dramatic and human than fiction could ever be. “Waste Land” isn’t a big film, but a very personal one on many levels — one that draws you in to another world and makes you care about the people whose lives it touches.
