Miranda
Storey
mirandastorey@mycwi.cc
English
102
Film
Analysis
15
April 2013
Waste
Land: An Analysis of Recycling
In Brazil lays one of the largest waste dumps in the world,
supporting over 9,000 tons of garbage a day (Ortiz). The Jardim Gramacho
landfill poses many hazards to the environment and to the people who have
worked there their whole lives. Tiao, an impoverished catadore, or picker of
garbage, and president of the Association of Pickers of Jardim Gramacho
declares, “’We are not pickers of garbage; we are pickers of recyclable
materials’” (Holden, C4). Tiao was one of the main characters in the late film
titled Waste Land where artist Vik
Muniz went above and beyond to create a masterpiece of art. Muniz did not
intend to go to Brazil and change the lives of the catadores while creating his
artwork, he intended to let them reimagine what their life could be like and
teach them lessons along the way.
Waste Land is a
film created to portray artist Vik Muniz’s work as he intended to paint the “pickers
of garbage” in the Jardim Gramacho landfill. The film follows the lives of the
unfortunate people that Muniz meets while photographing the piles of garbage.
Seven unbelievable catadores become a work of art as Muniz masterminds his
pieces, and leads them to hope for a better life. While working with the
catadores, feelings are discovered that would not have been seen from a far: the
despair expressed on their faces as they tell the stories of their lives; the
dignity the catadores hold themselves with as they tell about their job; and
the heart-touching spirits that shine as they cry over Vik’s artwork as it is
revealed to them (Walker). Isis, one of the pickers sadly expresses, “Look
Vik…this isn’t a future” (Walker). This film portrays how people who have hit
rock bottom, still do what they can to help save the environment and take pride
in their jobs along the way. The catadores’ lives become the main focus of the
movie, and watching them change while Muniz completes his artwork artwork is a
unique experience.
The film shows that the catadores lead a very harsh
lifestyle. Most of them are sick and away from their families to work or are
alone and have no family left. Their hard work symbolizes their hope for a new
and better life- a life that Muniz shows them when he is working. Suelem, an 18
year old picker who has two children already and another on the way says she is
proud of her work. She takes pride in what she does because she is not selling
her body or dealing drugs, like most pretty girls do (Holden C4). This
statement is valuable because it shows that although Suelem could be at home,
doing the work that most girls do, she chooses to work miles away from her
family to bring home enough money to support them.
As
times get harder in America, women are faced with this same decision, which
often times changes their lives, either for better or worse. Another important
message the film portrays is that Americans are spoiled and need to take a look
at what is happening, and stop it before it gets out of hand. Magna, another
picker points out, “It’s easy for you to be sitting there at home in front of
your television consuming whatever you want and tossing everything in the trash
and leaving it out on the street for the garbage truck to take it away but
where does it go?” (Walker). This quote enhances the fact that often times
Americans will lead their everyday lives without caring what is thrown into the
closest trash bin. Some Americans are careless about what they throw away, and
do not think about where their mounds of trash are going or the effects it
causes on other people or their environment. The catadores of Jardim Gramacho
know the meaning of recycling and they know how to do without; yet they still
lead a very happy life.
Muniz
becomes a hero to the catadores; showing them how their situations can be
different, and leads them to the realization of a new life. He has completely
changed the life of one picker in particular: Tiao dos Santos, the president of
Jardim Gramacho landfill as mentioned above. Tiao is photographed in an
abandoned bathtub to mimic the late painting, “The Death of Marat” from 1793.
Tiao’s photograph is then sold in London for over 50,000 US dollars. He plans
to use that money to give back to the catadores and to the environment as much
as he can (Holden C4). The transformation Tiao undergoes during the film is
enlightening, because he is discouraged and ready to give up at the beginning
(Walker), but by the end, after he sees what ambition could give, he is ready
to take on a whole new life. In essence, the film’s overall message is how
trash is recycled and how it is given a new life over and over again until it finally
gets buried in a landfill. Muniz is recycling the lives of the catadores,
selling their portraits of garbage and giving the money back to the catadores
so they can better their lives.
Muniz
did not intend to change the lives of the catadores while he was working in
Brazil. However through his artwork the catadores are able to reimagine what their
lives could be like. The importance of life, how it is lived, and the choices
made are all part of the film’s message. Magna makes a very powerful claim when
she points out that Americans are careless about what is thrown away, not
thinking about where the trash is hauled off to (Walker). Valter Santos stated
just weeks before his death, “People sometimes say ‘one single can?’ One single
can is of great importance because 99 is not 100 and that single one will make
the difference” (Walker). This is the attitude humans need to adopt. Americans need
to realize that 99 is indeed not 100 and that just that “one single can” will
make a difference when it comes to the environment. The most important thing
the film portrays is that much like the life of garbage, humans can recycle
their own lives too. With hard work and a vision of what life can be like,
anything is possible for not only the catadores, but for all.
Works Cited
Brocchetto,
Marilia, and Azadeh Ansari. "Landfill." CNN: Cable News Network.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., 5 JUNE 2012. Web. 16 Mar 2013.
Holden,
Stephen. "From a Universe of Trash, Recycling Art and Hope." New York
Times. (2010): C4. Print.
Ortiz,
Fabiola. "Brazil Closes Symbol of Environmental Degradation." Global
Issues. Inter Press Service, 4 JUNE 2012. Web. 23 Mar 2013.
Walker,
Lucy, Waste Land. Dir. Jao Jardim, Karen Harley, and Vik Muniz. 2010. Film. 12
Feb 2013.
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