WASTELAND

Wasteland is a documentary that follows world famous photographer Vik Muniz to one of the worlds largest landfills, Jardim Gramacho. At this large landfill are workers (pickers), who find recyclable goods among the garbage which they can sell for money. Vik Muniz uses his skills as a photographer to capture images of the pickers, and using garbage from the landfill, turn these images into a work of art. After selling these images Vik Muniz donates all of the proceeds to the pickers organization in Jardim Gramacho.

The emotional appeal in which this movie uses  comes as we see the kind of lives in which the pickers live. They are ordinary people who have just run into back luck. The movie shows that these pickers have lives and feelings. They have families who they need to support, dreams that they wish to live up to, and hope for a better future for themselves and for their posterity.  

I really liked how the movie showed that each of us have feelings, families and hope. It did this by going into a few of the pickers personal lives. By going into their personal lives it gave me as the viewer a greater sense of sympathy towards them, but also a desire to help others around me. Another powerful message which the movie portrayed was about the power of one. This is illustrated when one of the older pickers says, "99 is not 100."I think in today's society we think of one not being that big of a deal. We often will say to ourselves, "I am only one person" or "It's just one more." The quote "99 is not 100" shows power and meaning by saying that we need everyone and their all the effort, and that our contribution to the world and society whether it be good or bad is still significant.

If you would like to see Wasteland, you can view it on hulu at:  http://www.hulu.com/watch/397079