Manufactured Landscapes

Manufactured Landscapes in a 90 minute glimpse into the world of global production that we're usually so well sheltered from. Produced by Jennifer Baichwal the documentary follows one of Canada's most famous artists, Edward Burtynsky, as he photographs the country's massive industrial revolution. 

The documentary explores landscapes including the sixth largest steel producer in the world, an unbroken landscape of factories and workers' dormitories, primitive methods of e-waste recycling and the largest peacetime evacuation in history to make way for the Three Gorges Dam. 

Manufactured Landscapes runs without any commentary which may same a daunting prospect but is very effective in giving you the opportunity to come to your own conclusions. The artist Burtynsky explained the impact of this in his Ted Talk: Edward Burtynsky: My wish: Manufactured landscapes and green education

"If I said this is a terrible thing that we're doing to the planet, people will either agree or disagree. By not saying what you should see that may allow you to see their world a little differently."

Manufactured Landscapes is essential watching for anyone who wants to know what is actually going on in the world and is guaranteed to make you examine your purchases far more closely. It might even make you as determined as Thomas Thwaites to find a way to manufacture things yourself – The Toaster Project, a book about a "heroic attempt to build a simple electric appliance from scratch." 

You can buy the DVD here but now that we've watched it we're even concerned about where the DVD was made, so perhaps you're best off watching it online.