Manufactured Landscapes (2006)

Earlier this year I saw some of Edward Burtynsky’s photography at CONTACT — Toronto Photography Festival. His photos are unique in that they present us with an alarming view of the environment.

Manufactured Landscapes (2006) is a documentary film that follows Burtynsky around the world as he photographs landscapes that have been affected by manufacturing and industrial work. When you see what is happening in China with manufacturing plants or the Three Gorges Dam project you can’t help but shake your head.

Most of our old Macs and Dells and DVD players, referred to as eWaste, gets shipped to China where it is recycled. There are a lot of toxic chemicals in eWaste that seep into the water table, requiring bottled water to be imported so that locals aren’t poisoned.

Jennifer Baichwal’s film has some wonderful visuals and we get to see Burtynsky at work as he creates some of his photos. The problem is that the film is boring. The music is terribly uninspiring and gloomy. I love photography but I found it hard to stay awake at times while watching Manufactured Landscapes.½

Films are rated from 1 to 4 stars.

Posted in Movie Reviews at 10:11 AM