Filmed over a period of three years, Waste Land accompanies the well-known artist Vik Muniz on visits to the world’s largest dump, the Jardim Gramacho, on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. There he makes portraits of the catadores (‘ragpickers’), those who collect waste for reuse. Muniz’s goal is to portray the catadores using waste itself. His work with the inspiring people who collaborate in the creation of their own images transmits both dignity and a desperation to reinvent their lives.
Original version with Spanish subtitles