I believe I met photographer Henry Fair soon after his arrival in New York City. I was a "publicity representative" at Columbia Artists Management Inc. (CAMI), and he was interested in taking photographs of the artists we managed.
Where does all of our stuff come from? And where does it go?
The documentary Manufactured Landscapes offers some answers. The film shows you a vast Chinese plant that makes something. It shows you another place where people recycle thrown-away-stuff by hand--at risk to themselves and the environment. (That's something that blew away the director, Jennifer Baichwal.) It shows you a big ship being made...and it shows you a very different location where people take apart big ships. And damn if it doesn't show you one big goddamn dam.
I think the editing could be better and the "narrative" more revealing. But Manufactured Landscapes, which revolves around the photography of Edward Burtynsky, does achieve an important documentary goal--showing you significant things about the world that you might not know about otherwise. It reminds me of the classic Life magazine (which featured a picture of another big dam on its very first cover). If you care about this kind of thing, set aside some time to see the movie--if not at a theater (such as the Film Forum, where I heard director Baichwal speak), then via video.
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