Witnessing the absolute depths of human cruelty.
The 2014 documentary is a profound exploration of the life and work of Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado . Directed by Wim Wenders and Salgado's son, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado , the film offers a stunning visual journey through forty years of human history, shifting from the depths of human suffering to a hopeful message of ecological restoration. A Witness to Humanity The Salt of the Earth (2014)
Heartbreaking images of struggle and survival in the 1980s. Witnessing the absolute depths of human cruelty
After years of witnessing trauma, Salgado faced a personal crisis, feeling that humanity was a "ferocious animal". However, the film concludes with a powerful act of rebirth . Salgado and his wife, Lélia, returned to his family's ruined ranch in Brazil and replanted over two million trees , transforming it into a lush National Park. A Witness to Humanity Heartbreaking images of struggle
Salgado's work is famously characterized by high-contrast black-and-white photography , which Wenders presents with a unique technique: Salgado is often seen looking directly through his own images, reflecting on the memories they evoke.
For decades, Sebastião Salgado traveled the globe, capturing "the salt of the earth"—the people who inhabit it. His lens documented some of the most harrowing events of the 20th century, including: