As rubbish tumbles from the garbage trucks, orange-vested workers descend, digging through the trash to find that day’s must-have recyclables. They’re the pickers of Jardim Gramacho — one of the largest landfills in the world, located just outside of Rio de Janeiro. It’s a shocking place to work. But the people doing the work are upbeat. Running drugs and prostitution were their only other job opportunities, and there’s real pride here — if not for what they do, then at least for what they don’t do. Vik Muniz could relate. A native of Brazil, he didn’t grow up with money. In fact, his first trip abroad was funded with compensation received for a gunshot wound. Now a successful artist living in New York City, he decided it was time to give back. Waste Land (which is Oscar-nominated this year for Best Documentary) follows Muniz as he returns to Brazil to help the pickers tell their stories. Together they create massive portraits out of garbage, which they then attempt to sell at auction. The film warms your heart as it breaks it, but it doesn’t preach. Credit Muniz’s working-guy vibe for putting the pickers at ease and making this an audience favorite at numerous film festivals. (UK/Brazil | 98 mins) Read our story about this