Waste Land

Winner of the Audience Award at Sundance and Berlin Film Festival.

Filmed over nearly three years, Waste Land follows renowned artist Vik Muniz as he journeys from his home in Brooklyn to his native Brazil and the world's largest garbage dump, Jardim Gramacho, located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. There he photographs an eclectic band of “catadores”—self-designated pickers of recyclable materials.

Muniz’s initial objective was to “paint” the catadores with garbage. However, 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.

Director Lucy Walker and co-directors João Jardim and Karen Harley have great access to the entire process and, in the end, offer stirring evidence of the transformative power of art and the alchemy of the human spirit.

Waste Land, dir. Lucy Walker, UK/Brazil, 2010, 98 mins.

The ICA hosts monthly matinee screenings of films with accompanying talks that will spark discussion and touch upon the creativity of the medium as well as its power in representing social issues. The films shown are targeted at 16-19 year-olds.

The ICA offers accompanying Resource Packs with activities, discussion points and ideas for further engagement with the content of the screenings.

If you need to book a free teacher /support staff member ticket with your group please call the Box Office on 020 7930 3647. Tue–Sun 11am – 9pm.