With the World Cup in Brazil looming, there has been an innumerable amount of documentaries focusing on the South American country over the past few weeks. I've always been fascinated by Brazil but with this bombardment of images and information my interest has increased tenfold. The most recent of these is a documentary film titled Waste Land in which Brazilian artist Vik Muniz delves into the lives of the catadores (the pickers of recyclable materials) at a landfill called Jardim Gramacho near Rio de Janeiro.
Although the landfill was closed in 2012, the work of Tiaõ and the other members of the ACAMJG (Association of Recylcling Pickers of Jardim Gramacho) remains an exemplary model for Brazil's future plans for sustainable development.
By no means an art how-to, the film displays the capacity of people, no matter what their status may be, and the character that provides the inspiration for such masterpieces. The result of this exploration is not only these beautiful portraits made entirely from recyclable materials but a stirring film that displays the power of the human spirit and the promise of transformation.
Also, how gorgeous is the Portuguese language? I love it.
