WASTE LAND screening
A community of garbage pickers in Rio finds unexpected dignity when their daily labor becomes art — and the world’s largest landfill becomes the backdrop for a remarkable act of self representation.
That’s the heart of “Waste Land,” a documentary about the catadores of Jardim Gramacho and the portraits they create with Brooklyn artist Vik Muniz.
Muniz travels to the largest landfill in Latin America to collaborate with the workers who sort recyclable materials from its endless mounds of trash.
Together they build large scale images from the garbage around them — and in the process reveal stories of resilience, pride and the quiet strength of people who rarely get seen.
“A bold raid into an unknown territory . . . that the prosperous classes prefer not to think about,” Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian.
“A must-see PBS-style Cinderella story with true grit . . . and an improbably big heart.” — Mary Abbe, Minneapolis Star Tribune
“A remarkable testament to working class lives and the unifying power of art — a film that makes you proud to be human.” — Elliott Noble, Sky Cinema
1h 39m • English • Not rated • 29 critic and festival awards
Discussion + refreshments after
Suggested donation: $10 (ages 13+)
This screening opens Movies With Spirit’s 21st season and pairs with Unison’s fall exhibition “Still Becoming: Arrivals and Afterlives,” a Hispanic Heritage Month program honoring immigrant voices and creative practices in the Hudson Valley. Arrive early to take in the exhibition.
