Movie Review: Waste Land

Stefan and I rarely watch movies all the way through in one night. Generally we try to only spend 30 minutes watching TV a night. Sometimes we don't at all, and one night a week we spend 60 minutes watching House. It's very rare a film can keep our attention gripped long enough that we don't feel we're 'wasting our time' watching it for its entirety. Waste Land was one of those gems that we gave a whole 90 minutes to.
The movie Waste Land is a fantastic documentary about Brazillian artist Vik Muniz, who goes to the largest dump in the world, Jardim Garmacho and not only develops relationships with the people who work there, "pickers" (of recyclable materials), but also to recreate famous portraits through using only the materials found in the dump, photographing them, and then investing in the lives of those who work there with the profits. Sort of a hefty plot, I suppose, but really a tear-jerker movie and an awesome 'true life' story.

The art is nothing short of amazing, and extra large. I believe they rented an airplane hanger (that's what it looked like?) to re-create the photo by magnifying it, and then filling in all the detail, shadow, etc. with the garbage. The pictures are truly beautiful, and the entire idea is so creative...making beauty out of trash, or imperfection.

I highly recommend this movie, if not for learning something new about the world (always a good thing), then for the redemptive quality of the story. All of the lives of the catadores (pickers) were changed significantly from this project--for the better. The website also provides brief information about their current life that the film could only briefly mention. If you have any creative bent in your body, you will find this worth your while. Watch the trailer, and be amazed and inspired!

Comments

Amber said…

This sounds awesome, I really want to see it so bad! I sometimes have trouble sitting through documentaries, because I get bored, but I think I would rather like this one.

May 26, 2011 at 3:36 PM

How To: DIY Sand/Water Table

How To: Build A Sand/Water Table for Under $30 ! Sorry this took me so long to blog, but I had to have a tool list and full instructions before I could do so. A little history on my love for the sand/water table . I love the idea behind tools for tiny hands, i.e. the Montessori Method , and like to have Lukka 'figure things out for himself', even when he is playing. I try to have the most simple and basic toys available for 3 reasons: a) simple toys generally have less parts, which means less of a hassle for me b) simple toys inspire way more creativity and imagination than do 'exact replica' toys c) they are much more aesthetically pleasing to look at, therefore, not making every nook and cranny of our house an eyesore! I know the last reason is just for me, but it's true. Plastic things don't generally last 1/2 as long as wooden or fabric toys, and they are unattractive. For this reason, I started to look for a wooden sand/water table as opposed to a pl...

Home School Activities: Board Games We Love

My children have recently become enthralled in the world of board games. I was never a board game player. Sure, I remember long summer hours (days? it seemed like it..) spent around a Monopoly board, but I was never one to suggest to get out the cards, or a game. As my children have grown and they are now able to do activities with me, I started noticing that they really took to puzzles (when done all together) and the one or two board games I happened to have kept in the storage room. They were always asking to play Candy Land and so I figured I should branch off a bit. Over the course of the last year, I have found GREAT games, even ones that I love to play alongside them. The amount of 'teaching' they have gotten through games is jaw-dropping. Counting, team-playing, math related patterning, are just some of the skills I've watched develop. I asked before Christmas on facebook what my friends and their own kids loved and I was thrilled with the response. We have found ov...

November - December Titles // 2024

a moody December scene at Glen Valley I am just squeaking into the final few days for this post, and I am so glad I had Christmas break to boost a few more books into this somewhat meagre offering for Fall of 2024! What did you read that you loved? No Bootstraps When You're Barefoot by Wes Hall - This was a memoir I read for my bookclub, and although I found the first part very interesting, I read at least 75+ pages of his job (working his way up the 'wall street of Toronto') and I still don't know what he does. This author grew up in Jamaica and honestly his ingenuity, quick learning ability, and resourcefulness helped him achieve amazing things, but it did feel a bit hollow toward the end. I don't think that was the intention, I just didn't overly love it. The Hotel Balzaar by Kate DiCamillo - Again, I will read anything DiCamillo writes and be the first to have it ordered to my library! This lovely, nostalgic, and somewhat dour (at times) little middle...

Our House in the Middle of Our Street

Search This Blog