Watch Waste Land

"Waste Land" is a powerful 2010 documentary film co-directed by Lucy Walker, Karen Harley, and João Jardim. The film stars Vik Muniz, a Brazilian-born visual artist who is known for using unconventional materials to create his art. The movie takes place in Jardim Gramacho, a massive landfill located just outside of Rio de Janeiro.

The film begins by introducing us to Vik Muniz, who reveals that he has decided to return to Brazil after many years of living and working in New York City. He explains that he wants to use his art to make a difference in the world, and he believes that Jardim Gramacho provides the perfect opportunity to do so. Muniz's plan is to create a series of portraits of the "catadores", the people who work at the landfill, and to use the money he raises from selling the portraits to improve their lives.

The catadores are an incredibly diverse group of people who have been forced to live and work in extremely difficult conditions. They spend their days picking through the mountains of trash in search of recyclable materials, which they can then sell to middlemen for a few cents a pound. The catadores include men and women of all ages, some of whom were born into poverty and have no other options for making a living.

As Muniz begins to work with the catadores, the film introduces us to some of their individual stories. We meet Tiao, a charismatic leader among the catadores, who dreams of starting a recycling co-op that would provide better working conditions and fair wages for his colleagues. We also meet Magna, a single mother who struggles to support herself and her three children on the meager salary she earns from picking through trash. Through these and other individuals, the film paints a vivid and deeply moving portrait of life at Jardim Gramacho.

Throughout the filming, Muniz works closely with the catadores, creating a series of portraits that are both beautiful and haunting. He uses materials found at the landfill to create the portraits, including garbage, scraps of metal, and even the ashes of the trash itself. The portraits are then photographed and printed on large canvases, which are sold at auction in London.

The film follows Muniz and a small team of helpers as they prepare for the auction, which is a major event in the art world. Muniz is nervous about how his work will be received, but he remains determined to help the catadores in any way he can. The auction turns out to be a huge success, with Muniz's portraits selling for impressive amounts of money.

In the end, the film shows us how Muniz's project has made a real difference in the lives of the catadores. The money raised from the auction is used to fund a variety of initiatives, including a community center and a recycling co-op. The catadores themselves become more organized and empowered, and they begin to demand better treatment and pay from those who profit from the landfill. The film ends with a sense of hope and optimism, as the catadores look towards a brighter future.

Overall, "Waste Land" is an incredibly moving and powerful film that explores themes of poverty, art, and environmentalism. It is a testament to the resilience and determination of the human spirit, and it is a stirring call to action for all of us to do our part in making the world a better place.

Waste Land is a 2010 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 30 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.8 and a MetaScore of 78.