Noise 13

This film should be required viewing for everyone living in developed countries. Jennifer Baichwal documents the work of artist Edward Burtynsky – a large scale photographer who has gained widespread recognition in the past few years for his striking photographs of industrial landscapes—among them quarries, recycling yards, factories, mines and dams. Burtynsky’s work is beautiful, haunting, and eye-opening.

The movie itself takes place mostly in China – a country that is rapidly abandoning its agrarian past to make way for a new industrial, urban landscape. Burtynsky’s photographs show the sheer volume of items being produced in China, the waste that is created from this overproduction, as well as the unnerving impact on people’s lives who have been caught up in (or some would argue forced into) this new industrial revolution.

Baichwal does an amazing job of capturing Burtynsky’s process and providing insight and backstories into the artist’s work. She also allows herself a little room for commentary on the world’s consumption habits– something that Burtynsky tries to distance himself from (although this seems pretty hard to do). The film manages – as Burtynsky’s photographs do – to shed light on issues that we are all a part of: the true cost of economic growth and comfort.

At most, this movie will make you want to change the way that you live your life. At least, it will make you think twice the next time you buy a cheap appliance at Target.