The life and work of photographer Sebastião Salgado, who has spent forty years documenting societies in hidden corners of the world.The life and work of photographer Sebastião Salgado, who has spent forty years documenting societies in hidden corners of the world.The life and work of photographer Sebastião Salgado, who has spent forty years documenting societies in hidden corners of the world.
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- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 14 wins & 15 nominations total
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Featured reviews
It's a beautiful movie, though some parts were absolutely terrifying to watch.
There was no indication after watching several trailers of what lay ahead in terms of the suffering it very graphically depicted. It was almost about half the length of the film as well.
For most who are calloused, you will probably be fine. But be aware, those who are sensitive. It took me about 2 days to recover from the haunting images and pain they brought. I am glad I saw it though, because I received at least three wonderfully inspiring experiences from it:)
There was no indication after watching several trailers of what lay ahead in terms of the suffering it very graphically depicted. It was almost about half the length of the film as well.
For most who are calloused, you will probably be fine. But be aware, those who are sensitive. It took me about 2 days to recover from the haunting images and pain they brought. I am glad I saw it though, because I received at least three wonderfully inspiring experiences from it:)
Very touching and beautiful doc about life, love, loss, despair, redemption and it shows how, by sheer faith, you can build a forest. Literally. The beautiful photos tell a troubling yet touching story that will make you angry at mankind. By the end you will find yourself believing again and hoping that one day you could be so humble as to reflect on the negative influences in your life and thus be able to change those nativities into positive reactions . You are probably not doing enough for the world around you and when you see how easy it is to make real change, hopefully it will be a call to action. If a picture tells 1000 words, then this film tells 1000 stories.
1. this is a very good documentary 2. the photographer has a unique eye and drive to travel to impossible places 3. only reason why I am giving it a 9 out of 10 is that I expected more happy moments along with all the starvation/war/struggling miner moments 4. I would still recommend this movie to any creative person who is interested in photography, human history, current events, and personal growth. 5. You will not be disappointed with his frames and photography skills! 6. they include personal moments and love stories to go along with his adventures and photography. 7. my favorite part was the scenes/photography about the Yugoslavian/Bosnian people and their struggles during the war because I used to be good friends with people from that culture back in my refugee days in Germany.
Go check out the movie!
Go check out the movie!
Living in an age where Hollywood seems to believe that churning out CGI-promoted explosion orgies is the only recipe for success, this quiet documentary about the career of Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado may disappoint some audiences. Basically you only get to see the Salgado's photos and Salgado's face commenting them and telling the stories that are lurking behind. Most of the movie is made in black and white. The effect could not have been greater. Not only are the viewers stunned by the visual brilliance of the pictures and their monumental qualities but they also learn a lot about the tragedies of famines and genocides that took place in Africa in the 1980s and 1990s. To be honest, these tragedies of unbelievable scope are widely forgotten in the western world. Salgado leads us into the darkest heart of humankind where absolute folly and chaos reign instead of rational judgment. Graduating as an economist, Salgado embarked on a decades-long journey as a photographer, investing all the money of his young family in professional equipment. I think it is unjust to consider him someone who makes his living by showing the misery of mankind, like some reviewer has suggested. If Salgado hadn't been there and clicked his camera, we would not have these photos now which give testimony to what really happened in Africa or Kuwait. Just think about the risks that the young father took on when he was travelling through famine-starved desert or civil war-torn regions! Apart from that, this fine documentary does not leave behind its audience in desperation; Wim Wenders deliberately ends this homage on a harmonious chord by showing a successful reforestation project in Brazil which was initiated by Salgado.
You completely missed the point of this documentary. I doubt you even watched it till the end. And if you did, you missed the point. Let me make it simple for you. This "photographer" did not just "go" and took a few 'clicks' and selfies, as you make it sound, selling them for wealth. Your review is absolutely appaling. Sebastiao dedicatied his whole life, living among other cultures, documenting their lives. He sacrificed his 'family time' for this. Years of sacrifice. Years of living with the horror of wars, death and famine. He did not see his own children for long periods of time. And let me tell you, his work MATTERS. It's not about the money he made. Is about showing the world the truth about other cultures, about madness and war and lost (and found) paradise. Because in this era, it's easy to deny even the Holocaust! Sebastiao Salgado is a witness of history as it really happened, for a world devoured by fake news. Consider yourself blessed to have watched such a documentary, and pray that if a war will rage across your city, you'll have enough altruism within you to help your neighbour. That's what this documentary is really about. To question yourself of what can you do better, in a desperate situation. It beggs you to be outraged by the destruction humans can bring on this planet. It's not a film about Sebastiao. It's about you. So if you rated it 3, that's the rating you're giving to yourself. Do better.
Did you know
- TriviaThe title of the film is a biblical reference, Matthew 5:13: 'You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.'
- Quotes
Sebastião Salgado - Photographer: We are a ferocious animal. We humans are terrible animals. Our history is a history of wars. It's an endless story, a tale of madness.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Oscars (2015)
- SoundtracksThe Salt of the Earth
Written by Laurent Petitgand
Performed by Laurent Petitgand
- How long is The Salt of the Earth?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- La sal de la Tierra
- Filming locations
- Yalimo, Papua, Indonesia(Yali tribe)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $1,343,349
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $44,900
- Mar 29, 2015
- Gross worldwide
- $5,961,567
- Runtime
- 1h 50m(110 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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