Deb 9 Me 9
So we were going to see “Waiting for Superman” but missed the beginning so we dropped in on the next movie in chronological order, “Waste Land”. …never saw it coming. On the computer the analysis said it was a 1997 movie about Romania, there in the theater it said this was a new documentary about a contemporary artist who makes art from the world’s largest landfill. The difference seems to be Wasteland v. Waste Land (two words). You think they’d figure it out.
So the synopsis made it sound like its right up our alley. Neither of us had heard of the artist, Vik Muniz, and they did an admirable job of introductions. They established his credibility, his vision and his collaborators very nicely. Vik is a likeable guy who has a positive but difficult mission and apparently a man of credibility and means. The producers were willing to bet a camera crew and three years to follow his lead. I’m glad they did because I came out liking the guy, his art and his team.
As with many artistic visions, they morph as progress is made. Some aspects become clearer and some diffused as work progresses. This cat was no different and his assured ease and confidence in his vision carried him to success.
Briefly, the guy returns to his native Brazil, home of the world’s largest landfill, to create art using recyclable materials and the people of the island dump, referred to as pickers. These folks rummage through the tons of debris to find whatever can be salvaged. It is an amazing undertaking. There are thousands of these people attacking mountains of waste, smelly dangerous hideous city waste; 24 hours a day.
What Vik comes up with is astonishing, beautiful and a benefit to all those involved.
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