The Waste Land

By far, the best and most eye-opening documentary screening we’ve had thus far. This was not just about the amazing art that was made, this was about the people. Behind each work of art, there was a human being. Each of them had a unique character, personality, and a story behind each portrait. It was amazing to see how each of their lives were changed even though the conditions they were in didn’t necessarily change. One of the most important lessons that Vik Muniz wanted to accomplish with this project was for each of the individuals to see the work of art and to not think to themselves that, “Wow, Vik Muniz did this”, but rather, “Wow, we did this…I did this.” Vik wanted them to realize that this was all done through their hard work and created with their hands. I thought that that was really powerful. It was also extremely humbling to see how Vik became so involved with each of the people he worked with. All in all, it’s amazing to see how even art made of garbage can have the potential to change someone’s life in so many ways.

One thought on “The Waste Land

  1. Hi Pun,
    I agree – this was definitely my favorite documentary thus far! I think Muniz’s warm spirit really shone through here, especially in his insistence that the art be produced by the garbage collectors, not all himself. It shows that he wasn’t exploiting them for personal profit, but that he genuinely wanted to help them. What a remarkable artist! If only there were more like him.

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