Guide Note

Manufactured Landscapes is a documentary film depicting acclaimed Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky's journey to Asia to capture the effects of large scale industrial development on film.

After opening with an impressive eight-minute tracking shot of a massive Chinese factory, the crew follows Burtynsky to various mines, quarries, garbage dumps, industrial and manufacturing plants to document his quest to capture "the largest industrial incursions" in the world. The breathtaking live footage shot by cinematographer and creative consultant Peter Mettler is interspersed with photographs and interviews with Burtynsky, all of which seek to honestly depict the irreversible effects of industrialization on the natural world.

Although the images presented act as a commentary on the human impact on our natural environment, the film and its makers attempt to present an unbiased account of the places and events they depict.

Fast Facts

1. Director: Jennifer Baichwal
2. Release Date: June 20, 2007
3. Run Time: 90 minutes
4. 2007 Independent Spirit Awards nominee for Best Documentary
5. Features original music by Dan Driscoll