The Salt of the Earth

The Gist: Wim Wenders' Oscar nominated documentary about the greatly inspirational life of Sebastião Salgado, a photographer who dedicated his whole life to documenting the human condition of the less fortunate, all around the world.

I have to admit I had never heard the name Sebastião Salgado before watching this documentary, so I was even more blown away by the breadth of his work and the profound statements his photographs make.

I felt a hefty degree of envy for the places he traveled to during his life and also for his ability to capture the essence of people's anguish and pride, hopes and disaffection.

And his turning to documenting nature at the end of his life, together with the environmental regeneration he and his wife are responsible for, really does make his lifework come full circle.

The Bottom Line: Sebastião Salgado's work is so important and so essential to our understanding of humanity's struggles, needs, and desires that The Salt of the Earth becomes a must-see not only for people who love photography, like myself, but really for anyone.

Grade: 8