Waste Land

In my Rhetoric class we had the opportunity to watch the film, Wasteland. A general synopsis is renowned artist Vik Muniz travels to his native homeland, Brazil, where there is the world's largest garbage dump, and photographs a group of “catadores” that work there. The Association of Recycling Pickers of Jardim Gramacho (ACAMJG) is an organization of “catadores” or "pickers" who sort through garbage finding recyclables as a means of survival. Its members are paid in exchange for the recyclables that they collect, sort, and trade. The Jardim Gramacho landfill has one of the highest rates of recycling due to the entire economy generated by the association. Muniz’s initial objective was to “paint” the catadores with garbage for his next gallery. However, the people ended up serving him much more than he was able to serve them, as he intended. His collaboration with these inspiring characters as they recreate photographic images of themselves out of garbage reveals both the dignity and despair of the catadores as they begin to re-imagine their lives. One hundred percent of the sales from Vik Muniz’s “Pictures of Garbage”, the portraits of the catadores, as seen in the film, went back to the ACAMJG. Approximately $250,000 was raised from the portraits and this was used for: New homes for the catadores, to fund the ACAMJG deficit, to improve the infrastructure of the ACAMJG community (such as the first Garbage selection station), a new truck, a learning centre, Vik funded small business training program, a library at the ACAMJG office with 15 computers, and Irma the chef set up her own little cooking business. 

The films is very eye opening, you don't realize what is out there until you actually look. Even if it is normally something you don't want to see. Even if you can't dedicate 3 years of your life to travel and help these people, there are many other ways to get involved and help out. 

To watch a trailer for the movie, get more info, or contribute a donation to the ACAMJG fund, go to http://www.wastelandmovie.com/