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MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES -- SCREENPLAY |
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directed by Jennifer Baichwal [Transcribed from the movie by Tara Carreon, American Buddha Online Librarian]
MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES I believe that as a fundamental philosophical position when I look at the world. So I started thinking, "Maybe the new landscape of our time, the one to start to talk about, is the landscape that we change, the one that we disrupt in pursuit of progress." So I'm trying to look at industrial landscape as a way of defining who we are, and our relationship to the planet. It's this thing that's growing, and it's part of our economy; and it's part of our politics; and it's a part of how we elect our governments; and it's a part of everything we do. But it's this big machine that started rolling. And I'm not coming at it to celebrate or glorify industry, nor am I trying to damn it. I'm just trying to say, "Well, this is what it is." So to show those types of images, or those types of places, allows the viewer to begin to comprehend the scale. So it's another landscape; it IS a landscape. It's a different landscape.
MERCURY FILMS in co-production with THE NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA and in association with TVONTARIO EDWARD BURTYNSKY
THE FACTORY OF THE WORLD. THE
CHANNEL OF THE WORLD *** [Man] Under these particular circumstances, we can easily discover many shortcomings. *** [Man] They complain about us every day. Watch the way you operate. *** [Man] Also, watch those knobs for controlling temperature and those for steam. Don't laugh. Don't talk. You, stand behind him. Four in a row. Stand straight. You, come to this row. ***
[Man] Regarding the unqualified
material, our group, 2B, did the worst. Every time we worked on 7652, if
I didn't remind you, I'm not a god. I'm a human being, just like you. I am only 1 person, and you are 20. When those materials were rejected, the quality controller complained a lot. This is the bad habit that exists in our group, 2B. [Translator] Edward, they want to know how you like it so far. [Edward Burtynsky] It's okay. Try to fill in this area here is the most important. Like one group. That's good. No, marching them all down here is fantastic, because I lose them down at the other end anyways. So you want the foreground to be full. It's looking okay. I wish I had the light of a half hour ago. It's deadened down a bit. I'm hoping it opens up. I think we're good. I'm just shooting now. [Translator] It should be good. No problem. He is shooting now. [Edward Burtynsky] That's good. It's perfect. *** [Announcer] Ladies and gentlemen, Ed Burtynsky! [Clapping] [Edward Burtynsky] Inspired by nature -- that's the theme here. And I think, quite frankly, that's where I started. I had a bit of an epiphany being lost in Pennsylvania. I took a left turn, trying to get back to the highway, and I ended up in a town called Frackville. And I got out of the car, and I stood up, and it was a coal mining town. And I did a 360 turnaround. And that became one of the most surreal landscapes I had ever seen. It was wholly transformed by man. And that got me to go out and look at the largest industrial incursions that I could find. And that became the baseline of what I was doing. I guess, in back of everybody's mind, if they think of extraction industries, we all know that that stuff comes from somewhere. But we're disconnected from that. So my images brought those landscapes into our consciousness. And for about ten years, I explored that kind of landscape through quarries and mines -- nickel, or copper, or iron ore. And ones that had been going on for long periods of time, so that the evidence of that accumulated taking, in one frame, you can show the dimensions of our extraction in the landscape. When looking at China, I was looking at that place where all these materials coalesce, sort of coming in from all around the world: iron ore and aluminum and wood -- all of these things China has very little of. And then these factories are this place where all these materials get formed into products and sent back all around the world. *** [Woman] We haven't sorted these recycling materials in time. Now there's too much to do. You wouldn't start working until you were told to. You don't want to work? *** [Edward Burtynsky] Another aspect of what's happening in China is that a lot of the recycled materials that are being collected here are being taken to China by ship. That's cubed metal. This is armatures, electrical armatures, where they're getting the copper in the high-end steel from electrical motors. Fifty percent of the world's computers end up in China to be recycled. It's referred to as e-waste there. And the way that they recycle is that they actually heat up the boards, and with pairs of pliers they pull off all the components, trying to get all the valuable metals out of those components. But the toxic smells -- when you're coming to a town that's actually doing this kind of burning of the boards, you can smell it a good five or ten kilometres before you get there. I'm not usually [inaudible], but I couldn't resist on this one where she's been through Mao, and she's been through the Great Leap Forward, and the Cultural Revolution, and now she's sitting on her porch with this e-waste beside her. It's quite something. *** Zheijiang and Fujian Provinces, China, 2004. [Edward Burtynsky] Higher; higher. [Translator] There we go. *** [Man] It's not useable anymore. [Translator] So after you sort them out, will you smash all of them? [Man] Yes. All will be smashed. [Edward Burtynsky] In one of the towns that was the most notorious for e-waste recycling, they were smashing monitors, and taking and using the glass, but inside the monitor it was full of phosphors and of lead, different kinds of cadmium, different, pretty-toxic heavy metals. So all of this, of course, would wash into the rivers, would go into the soil. And after every rain, it would get it further and further into the water table, to the point where the water table is totally contaminated. And they're now having to ship water in. *** [Woman] First, welcome to our company. This is the headquarter office. During the past 13 years, our company has been expanding steadily. Our product is sold in more than 60 countries and territories around the world. Our products cover from the origin, to the terminal of low voltage electrical safeguards, which includes the TSM1 Smart Breaker, Smart and Multi-functional Breaker, and the TSM21 Breaker, TSM Small Breaker, and the TSY Power Supply Protector. [Tan Yanfang] My name is Tan Yanfang. [Woman] How long have you been working here? [Tan Yanfang] Six years. I can assemble 400 units every day without overtime. [Woman] The shell of the TSM Small Breaker is made of the best quality materials in the world, including specialized parts imported from Holland. The products are mainly for ... Excuse me ... I feel so nervous. That's okay. Can I use ... Can I use my notes? [Woman] You can read. That's fine.
[Woman] We will keep updating our
marketing, focusing on technical research, to serve our customers best.
Professional, high-quality, and large scale work will make our company
an industry leader. Our corporate goal is to be exceptional.
Professionalism is our principle. *** [Translator] Are we moving on, though? [Edward Burtynsky] Yeah, we're moving on. The light's really good. Let's try and get more stuff. [Translator] Yeah. [Woman] Changes here are huge. My father told me when he came here in the early '90s, there were no ships being built. Now it's getting richer here. My mother is a welder, just like me. My father is an assembler. I failed to get into high school, and my uncle worked here. That's why I came here to work. [Edward Burtynsky] You might want to pull this a bit for the sky. These ships carry, I think, a great metaphor of connecting us through seas. The materials that we experience all come through ships. So they have become the kind of reason that has allowed globalization to take the proportions it has. *** [Edward Burtynsky] The high tide is at 13:01? [Man] At 1:30 it's high tide. They want to get farther so they can work on it. It's too far out for them to get to it. Bhittagong Shipbreaking Beach, Bangladesh, 2001 [Edward Burtynsky] I want to see if we can actually walk up to that other big ship. Where do they anticipate it to land? What's their best guess? [Man] They don't know. It's all the will of God. *** [Edward Burtynsky] I like it. *** [Edward Burtynsky] At one point I was shooting a mine, and it was a silver mine. (It's a little dark.) I arrive in my car, made of iron, filled with gas. I pull out a metal tripod, and grab film that's loaded with silver, and start taking pictures. So everything I'm doing is connected with the thing I'm photographing. Looking at these ships in Bangladesh, the connection was clear. At some point, I probably filled a tank of gas from the oil that was delivered from one of these tankers. These oil tankers still had sludge and crude at the bottom of the ships that had to be scraped out. And it was all done by hand. You know, 18-, 19-, 20-year old boys -- even younger -- in oil up to their necks. It's very, very low-paid work, and very dangerous work. So you rarely see anybody over 30 at work there. *** [Edward Burtynsky] The whole idea of energy entered my work around 1997 when I began to photograph oil fields and oil refineries.And I had what I call an oil epiphany, when one day I was driving, and I started to think about how oil had affected my life. And I was holding on to a plastic steering wheel that was probably made from oil derivatives, in a car with paints that were oil, looking through glass that was probably heated through oil, driving on black tar, and I started to think about oil as a key building block of the last century. I thought of it as the oil party. That there is this great abundance of this black liquid that gives us this mobility, this freedom. And I couldn't help but feel that China was kind of either joining the last dance, or the second last dance, to this party. That Peak Oil is somewhere. Either we've hit it, or we're about to hit it. You know, no matter what we do, we just can't get enough to supply the world demand. So to look at China, and the way that they are expanding to be the manufacturers of the world, is a very different energy footprint. And because they're entering late in the game, it remains a question of how long they'll be able to sustain. *** [Man] There are lots of coal mines here. Coal is mined on a large scale to meet the energy needs of our country, because our economy is developing very fast. But it brings some environmental problems. [Translator] Did you just say that large-scale coal mining is to meet China's demands in her economic development? We came here for that. I have to let you know that he's going to publish a book about the development of Chinese industry, and we understand that China needs a lot of energy for development. *** [Woman] No shooting. No shooting. [Translator] He's just taking a picture. Don't shoot, guys. [Woman] Excuse me. [Translator] Yeah. [Woman] As far as I understand, the problem right now -- I mean this is my personal idea ... [Translator] Okay. [Woman] is that the court itself has the very regulation that no media is allowed to come to this. [Translator] No, I understand that. But my understanding is, from Mr. Chendling this morning ... Tianjin Harbour Goods Distribution Centre [Woman] I think, maybe he ... [Translator] You know? Yeah, no, no. That's okay. [Woman] Maybe Mr. Chendling does not know that there is a certain regulation that ... [Translator] Yeah. [Man] I understand it's quite windy today. [Woman] It's very dirty, very dirty. I don't think it's a good day to make beautiful pictures. It's very gloomy here. [Translator] But through his camera lens, through his eyes, it will appear beautiful. For example, even this industrial waste, it's kind of like garbage. Still it appears beautiful through his camera. Take a look at these pictures. This book is a retrospective of his past 20 years' work. Most of the pictures were taken in Canada. [Woman] No, really. [Translator] Here are some pictures of mines. The book we are making needs a picture ... [Man] Actually, our concern is that it will cause some negative influence. [Translator] Let's just go to the site and have a look. [Woman] Okay. Let's go. *** [Edward Burtynsky] What you see here is the Three Gorges Dam. And this is the largest dam, by 50%, ever attempted by man. And it's actually a relief for what's going on in China, because I think on the table right now there are 27 nuclear power stations to be built in the next ten years, and coal burning furnaces are going in there for electric power literally weekly. [Woman] Workers, before you go to the site, please check that you are wearing safety equipment or proper clothing. Please check if there's any potential danger, and if you are clear about today's work. Today's highest temperature: 26 to 27 centigrade; lowest 15 to 16. [Woman] Old Master? How are you? [Man] Yes. [Woman] Are you working here? [Man] Yes. [Woman] How about the work? Is it hard? [Man] Of course it's hard. 20 Yuan. [6.8 yuan =1 US dollar, so 20 yuan = 20/6.8 =2.94118 US dollar.] [Woman] What? [Man] 20, uh, 30 Yuan. [Woman] So, 30 Yuan a day? Oh. *** [Woman] What do you think of this project? Are you proud of your involvement on such a huge project? [Man] I'm just a general labourer here. We are just working for our boss, getting paid here. *** [Man] We have three shifts a day: day shift, mid shift and night shift. *** [Woman] How long have you been working here? [Man] I've been working here nine years. [Woman] Nine years? Wow. [Man] It's just work. It's all for our country. *** [Man] The project was officially launched on December 14, 1994. It has been almost ten years. It will take 17 years to finish, ending in 2009. This is the biggest dam that has ever been made in the world, and probably ever will be made. There are three main functions of the dam. The first is to avoid floods. That's the most crucial function. The second is to generate electricity. The third is to improve transportation. That's it. *** [Man] The full length of the dam is 2,309 metres. There will be 26 generators installed, as well as 6 underground generators, as backup, which makes 32 total. Each one generates 700,000 kW, with a total capacity of 22,400,000 kW, which supplies 84.7 billion kWh per year. [Woman] How many people have to relocate due to the construction of the dam? [Man] According to the statistics we got in the 1992 census, 830,000, but considering population growth, the actual amount is around 1,100,000. [Woman] Are these people content with their new homes? [Man] Do not ask me this question. I'm not in charge of this. *** [Edward Burtynsky] Look at that! ***
[Edward Burtynsky] So I made three
trips to the Three Gorges Dam, looking at that massive transformation of
landscape. And it looks like a bombed-out landscape, but it isn't.
What it is, it's a landscape that's an intentional one. This is a
need for power. And they are moving 13 full-size cities up out of
the reservoir, and flattening all the buildings so they can make way for
the ships. *** Yangtze River Cities, China, 2002 [Edward Burtynsky] This will all be over in another few weeks or a month. It's here for the moment, and once they get through this rubble, it's finished. And then the water floods it. So there's this crazy, frenetic activity for the next month or two, and then it's gone. Whatever. *** Okay. Okay. [Translator] I think it will be okay. *** [Man] It's a very broad view. It's hard to see the details. *** [Woman] This model has 600 square metres [inaudible] 1, 2, 500. It's the biggest of its kind in the world. [Inaudible]. The planning is from 2001-2020, so 20 years planning. Now we also have 50 years planning. First we see this blue river is Wampu River. Here, this is Wampu River. In the eastern side is called Pudo [inaudible]. The western side is called Fushi [inaudible]. *** [Edward Burtynsky] When Mao finished his reign, there was 90% agrarian, and 10% urban. The current idea coming from Beijing is to see it 30% agrarian, and 70% urban which, when you look at 1.3 billion, the urbanization of China is unprecedented in the world. *** [Woman] The name is World Financial Centre. When this building finished, they will have 492 metres. 101 stories. In the future, they will have to [inaudible] so high. Here is Century Park. Behind Century Park we will see many white, small buildings. And here is Villa Garden. Villa [inaudible]. *** [Edward Burtynsky] One of these I focused on in terms of the urbanization of China was Shanghai, in that Shanghai was probably China's fastest growing city. In the last five years it's had about 4-5 million new citizens arrive. And it's growing in this kind of crazy fashion in that thousands and thousands of high-rise dwellings are replacing the older, traditional dwellings that were there. *** [Man] Because our country was poor in the past, people's life standards were low. Compared with the old city, the new city has been improved regarding the scale and construction quality. Generally speaking, life quality has been improved as well. Because people feel happy about the fresh environment. *** [Dragon Lady] So the Garvey's[?] about 1,800 square metre. So I have two gardener come every day to keep this plant [inaudible]. Actually, in the evening, when all this light on the garden, really look beautiful. Quiet. Since I am in the real estate business, I visit lots of property. And Shanghai develop really quickly. Really, it's the fastest growing city in the world. [Woman] You have so much free time that you can wash your dog? *** [Man] These houses were basically old houses. We were old neighbours. We've been neighbours for decades. My father and mother grew up here, and I was born here. I'm more than 60 years old now. *** [Dragon Lady] You see this open kitchen here actually was my garage. Originally this house looked totally different. This the [inaudible] room. I spend lots of time here. That's my favorite bookshelf. It's Chinese antique style. Red. Red color means happy. *** [Man] Go further. You will find an interesting place to shoot. *** [Dragon Lady] I think the Shanghai city is more or less for the younger people. Younger generation. Some older generation, they are not happy, because their feeling, their hearts belongs to the old place. This is ever way in the world thing. *** [Man] They came door to door to persuade you to move, one by one; sometimes they deceived people into going. Sometimes they coaxed them.
*** *** [Man] Often they beat people up. One guy here got broken bones. *** [Dragon Lady] The whole community was knocked down but this house. She just didn't want to leave. *** [Edward Burtynsky] We are changing the nature of this planet. We are changing the air. We are changing the water. We are changing the land. And that's not just China; that's the world at large. There are times when I have thought about my work, and putting it into a more politicized environment. If I said this is a terrible thing we are doing to the planet, then people will either agree or disagree. By not saying what you should see, that may allow them to look at something they never looked at, and to see their world a little differently. So I think many people today sit in that uncomfortable spot where we don't necessarily want to give up what we have, but we realize what we're doing is creating problems that run deep. It's not a simple right or wrong. It needs a whole new way of thinking. Director: JENNIFER BAICHWAL Director of Photography + Creative Consultant: PETER METTLER Editor: ROLAND SCHLIMME Commissioning Editor: TVO RUDY BUTTIGNOL Producers for the National Film Board of Canada: PETER STARR, GERRY FLAHIVE
Produced by: NICK de PENCIER, DANIEL
IRON, JENNIFER BAICHWAL
Cast (in alphabetical order)
Produced by
Original Music by
Cinematography by
Film Editing by
Production Management
Sound Department
Camera and Electrical Department
Editorial Department
Other crew
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