Matter Out of Place

Matter Out of Place follows the world’s waste flows in a visually powerful manner. A suffocating trip that takes everything from small-scale waste processing in Asian villages and Austrian ski resorts to mountains of waste and gigantic dumping grounds near huge cities. Increasingly ingenious systems operate around the clock to keep waste out of sight. When do we reach the limit of a garbage dump? And what happens then? With growing concern, two ecologists dig down into a former dumping site covered with earth. The land on top looks normal, but beneath the surface lies a time bomb. They conclude that poison will remain embedded in the soil and groundwater for centuries. Geyrhalter’s camera simply observes, but leaves the viewer flabbergasted.