Why Manufactured Landscapes' message about consumption is more important than ever
David Suzuki, Sophie Hackett and Darrell Varga look back at the award-winning 2006 documentary
At their best, movies have the power to challenge our perspectives and help us see the bigger picture. It's hard to think of a more literal example than Manufactured Landscapes. Directed by Jennifer Baichwal — and featuring spectacular images from Canadian photographer Ed Burtynsky — the film takes us to some of humanity's most mesmerizing industrial landscapes. From a factory in China that employs some 23,000 people to world's largest dam, which has uprooted more than 1 million people since it was built, it's a stunning exploration.
Released in 2006 to rave reviews and winning the award for Best Canadian Film at the Toronto International Film Festival, we're revisiting Manfactured Landscapes on this weekend's episode of The Filmmakers and airing the film afterwards. In addition to an interview with Baichwal and Burtynsky themselves, there's an exemplary panel of folks joining us to discuss the legacy of the film — and the above video gives you a preview of just that.
Art Gallery of Ontario curator Sophie Hackett, author and professor Darrell Varga and scientist, environmentalist and host of The Nature of Things David Suzuki sit down with The Filmmakers host Johanna Schneller on the panel, which examines the message of Manufactured Landscapes — and why it might matter more than ever.
The Filmmakers airs this Saturday at 8:30 p.m. (9 NT) on CBC Television, or stream it at cbc.ca/watch. After the episode, stick around to see this week's feature presentation, Manufactured Landscapes.