Assignment # 9: The Wasteland

This documentary is a sense of wake up call to those who live a very luxurious and comfortable life. It reminds us about how we shouldn’t take anything or everything for granted. This film doesn’t only portray the lives of various characters but the amount of waste that are being produced everyday by many people. Vik Muniz, who is a Brazilian artist happens to come from the same root as many of the garbage pickers. At one point of his life, he was shot in his leg by a rich man while trying to break up a fight. To his fortune, it opened the door for him to travel to New York to pursue his passion. In order to give back to his people, he decided to make an art through garbage’s. He used the help of people who work at Jardim “Garden” Gramacho, which is a landfill in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil by taking their photos, learning about their life/struggles and creating a strong bond with them. His patience, time and effort does not only help him to execute his art project but it also earned him a lot of respect, success and popularity. This documentary revealed that no matter what you do, if it’s for the better cause you should keep striving and going forward regardless of how many obstacles come your way. Tiao Carlos dos Santos, the founder of ACAMJG and the success he has gained and making a difference in other’s lives in his respected country. He talks about how nobody, including his father believed in him when he started the organization and now it’s finally being revealed in a bigger platform with the help of Vik, who has a made a reputation for himself. Tiao is considered a leader and looked upon by a lot of people. This film has made a lot of the people’s dream come true such as Zumbi. The money he gained through the portraits there has been Library’s inaugurated with 15 computers at the office. This art has made a lot of changes in people’s lives in a way that nobody will look down on “Garbage Pickers”. Their jobs might be considered low level but they have a sense of pride and honesty and hard work, which was noticed at the end of the film. Bringing this sense of awareness by Vik Muniz, the audience won’t think of themselves in a superior level but everyone will feel and treated equally.