Meridian’s “Wasteland” Film Screening Explored the Transformative Powers of Art

On July 26, 2012 Meridian hosted a public film screening of the award-winning documentary Waste Land as part of the Global Perspective Film Series, which is cohosted with ITVS. In addition to the film screening, the evening program also featured a discussion with Dr. Curtis Sandberg, Senior Vice President for Arts and Cultural Programs at Meridian, and Philippa Hughes, Founder and Creator of The Pink Line Project.

Filmed over nearly three years, Waste Land follows renowned artist Vik Muniz as he journeys from his home in Brooklyn to the world’s largest garbage dump in his native city, Rio de Janeiro. At the dump, he befriends an eclectic band of “catadores” – pickers of recyclable materials – who, in turn, transform the materials into evocative works of art. The film, released in 2010, received the Best Documentary award at the Sundance Film Festival and was also nominated for an Academy Award.

The evening began with an introduction and overview by Dr. Sandberg, who highlighted the core issues in the film. After the screening, Dr. Sandberg and Ms. Hughes shared their favorite parts of the documentary and also took questions from the audience. One of the driving themes of the discussion was utilizing art to create empathy and foster peace. The speakers also discussed the notions of economic revivalism through art, creativity and generating fresh ideas and artistic expression on the global stage.