Manufactured Landscapes is a new film about Ed Burtynsky's work. I won't say too much about it, as I have some real conflicts of interest (Ed is not only a board member and key supporter, he's also a good friend), except to say that this is a deep, profound film, a meditation on what it means to live in a civilization whose appetites and needs are powerful enough to literally re-work entire landscapes. Many things about the impacts of our lives are hidden from us: Manufactured Landscapes reveals to us the hidden scope of our combined footprint on the Earth.

If you are unfamiliar with Ed's work, you can watch a Quicktime video he created for us here.

, a meditation on what it means to live in a civilization whose appetites and needs are powerful enough to literally re-work entire landscapes

We've been doing for as long as we've been civilized, or so I recall from news over the last few years. I think it was the Amazon that was in the news last year - Indians before Columbus were shaping the rain forest to their needs changing the character of the Amazon long before we had Caterpillar earth movers.

Not to say this wouldn't be a good film but it's not just 'this' civilization that's been capable fo changing things around.

Posted by: Brian on October 5, 2006 7:24 PM