Burtynsky's Manufacture Landscapes was shown on Thursday. A documentary that focused on imagery rather than narration so we couldn't grasp onto words and find the loopholes in them to escape from our faulted fate.
So, I want to talk about the moment that got me. We watched young children clamour about the ruins of thousands of version 1.0s. We watched men and women painstakingly sift through forgotten artifacts on past fads for goods to salvage.
We can imagine the toils that the environment causes for them health wise. Their economic gains from their daily jobs will never quit them of this endless cycle.
So. They have their photo taken. They get handed this photo and we see the first real smile spread across all faces upon looking at the image of themselves or their friends. And to think about this irony - technology waste is what is making their lives miserable. Yet, they only have the broken down skeletons to pick through, so when a technological product in its prime state is demonstrated and utilized in front of them, it's like... what seeing Burtynsky's photos are for us.... seeing hell as beautiful.
What images from the film did you find the most striking?
I'd have to say the one home among the rubble whose owner refused to leave, that was very striking.
ReplyDeleteThe most striking images in the video were when the citizens were demolishing their own homes. I could hardly grasp this concept. Cities were being ripped down to make way for water from the dam. The dam was also a striking feature, and when it was mentioned that 27 nuclear power plants were going to be built I was astonished. The dam is there to cut down on the nuclear power, and they managed to cut it down to 27. This number is still high, and is highly problematic, as nuclear waste cannot be disposed.
ReplyDeleteI found the most striking imagery within this film to be the ones within the factory. Since I have previously done factory work I know how painstakingly monotonous processes Burtynsky was able to display as beautiful. If he were to take a social stance on any of his pieces I feel the beauty could be portrayed as hell but this was not his intent and so he leaves the repetitive image of the factory up to an individual’s own self discretion when relating and interpretation the pieces.
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