Salt of the Earth

Wim Wenders-Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, 2014, France-Brazil-Italy, 110mins, Cert.: 12

This superb and visually stunning documentary narrates the life and work of legendary photographer, Sebastião Salgado, who has spent 40 years documenting deprived societies in hidden corners of the world through all the continents, witnessing in the process some of the most significant – and often brutal- events in the global History of the 20th and 21st centuries and making some of them known to a wider audience. His most recent project focuses on the discovery of unexplored territories and breathtaking landscapes as a photographic tribute to the planet’s beauty.

Nominated for an Academy Award and winner of three awards at the Cannes Film Festival as well as numerous other accolades and nominations worldwide, the film by the acclaimed veteran filmmaker, Wim Wenders and Salgado’s own son, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, is an exploration of the work of a professional who has changed the art of photography but also the man behind the lens himself.

The screening is presented in collaboration with Sydenham Arts’ major photography project: “Sydenham: Lens 2016-2017” (http://sydenhamarts.co.uk/whats-on/sydenham-lens/)

Reviews

☆☆☆☆☆ “Wenders lets Salgado tell his own story, while his work speaks volumes about the human condition. Some of his depictions of human suffering are not for the faint-hearted but, like this fine film, demand to be seen. Unmissable.” David Hughes, www.empireonline.com

☆☆☆☆ “Wim Wenders’s collaboration with Sebastião Salgado’s son speaks volumes about the photographer, his motivations and subject matter.” Mark Kermode, The Observer

☆☆☆☆ “Wim Wenders’ master stroke in The Salt of the Earth is to let the photographs of Sebastião Salgado speak for themselves. There are no fatuous, gabbling talking heads burbling on about his cultural significance; no attempt to contextualise Salgado’s work or compare him to his contemporaries.” Wendy Ide, www.thetimes.co.uk

☆☆☆☆ “…it seems as if Salgado has gone beyond humanity in depicting the natural world: landscapes without people. His best work seems to transcend history itself.” Peter Bradshaw, www.theguardian.com