Manufactured Landscapes Response

          I recently viewed the film Manufactured Landscapes on Hulu. I was surprised at first how the film included some of the communication between the camera man and I assume the artist/director about where to point the camera, and what the lighting  was like, etc. This is something that we rarely encounter when we watch a professionally made film. I felt that it actually added to the film's meaning though, because it is showing us how things are, unfiltered and unbiased. At one point the makers of the film are trying to get access to shoot at a certain industrial spot. The company representative tried to say that it is not a beautiful place to shoot, but one of the filmmakers explained that through the camera lens, through certain eyes it can be beautiful.
          One of the parts of the film that stuck with me was about the people who lived in the cities that were going to be flooded when the very large dam was completed. These people not only had to leave their homes behind, but they were being paid to destroy them as well, brick by brick. In this scene you get a sense of how we as a human race are willing to sacrifice in the name of progress. Is the sacrifice worth it? Where do we draw the line? It is probably impossible to tell, and depends very much on one's personal opinion. China is developing very fast, but what are the consequences? They are using large-scale coal mining operations to fuel this industrialization, which causes large amounts of pollution. People are working in unbelievably large factories, standing in place putting irons together for many hours.
           Since I was watching the film on Hulu, there would be occasional ads that would interrupt the movie. It was so strange to see all of the work and various sacrifice that goes into making products, and then see American consumers using the product and being very carefree. Industrialization is not a polished or pretty thing. But what it accomplishes can be beautiful, as well as ugly if you so wish to see it. Something we need to keep in mind as the world continues to develop and industrialize: Is it worth it?