In Memory of the Land and People - China
Thanks to Wal-Mart, a great deal of America’s manufacturing has been outsourced to China. “Manufactured Landscapes,”a new documentary film by Canadian doc filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal profiles Edward Burtnysky who has spent a great deal of time lately taking masterful photographs of the landscapes and people in the new Super Capitalist China.
The photographer first started his search for the best images showing the new “manufactured landscapes” when he visited a strip mine in Pennsylvania. He never talks about seeing a mountaintop removal mine site, but all through the movie I thought, “I wish this guy would come to WV and spend some time on OUR manufactured-exploded landscapes.”
Baichwal made an earlier feature documentary about the well-known Appalachian photographer Shelby Lee Adams in her 2002 film, “The True Meaning of Pictures.” (Adams provides some of the great photographs used by Mari-Lynn Evans in her PBS series, “The Appalachians.” ) Baichwal has a very sensitive awareness of her subjects, and uses minimal confrontation to show more than just the artist’s viewpoints. Everyone interested in contemporary photography should see both of her films. I chose “True Meaning” as one of the “ten best films about Appalachia” for Ken and Melanie Light’s recent “Coal Hollow” project.
This film reminds me a lot of another recent masterpiece that combines stunning photography of landscapes with deeply sympathetic interviews with works - “Workingman’s Death.”
“Death” even has a spectacular part that takes place in a Chinese steel mill, showing the horrors of what workers must endure as well as the naked beauty of the gigantic buildings and other structures.
The opening tracking show showing thousands of workers in a Chinese factory was unforgettable. I also particularly enjoyed the interviews with the people in a village that recycled computer parts. They are truly haunting and like B.J. Gudmundsson’s recent films about the effects of MTR, have made me look at the world - computers in this case - differently.
Burtnysky talks at the end of the film about the possible nature of his work. He expresses a true concern for what mankind is doing to Mother Earth - and visa versa. I wouldn’t be surprised is some of his photography make their way into future films about more inconvenient truths.
Hopefully the WVIFF will present both this film and “Workingman’s Death.” They would make a nice double feature. If they don’t, I may have to program both of them for the WV Labor History Association sometime at The La Belle Theater. I know I couldn’t get any union to sponsor a showing….or could I? Maybe OVEC would like to show this film…..
Another good idea would be to show “Landscapes” with Robert Gates’ landmark first film, “In Memory of the Land and People.” Talk about a film showing the effects mankind can have on the landscape of our world……
Added Tuesday, July 3, 2007 - Vivian Stockman from OVEC has become quite an accomplished photographer of manufactured landscapes herself, taking photos of MTR destruction….She has assisted probably a dozen filmmakers so far on the subject. See her photos at the OVEC website. These picts have been published in the NY Times and many, many places - and posted everywhere. I have used many of them for film posters, etc., etc. See the online version of her and other MTR photographers at a Wofford College Library show that just ended. Vivian just sent me a link to this article on “Appalachian Apocalypse” which includes truly beautiful pictures of the destruction of Kayford Mountain.
