The Salt of the Earth (2014)

The life and work of photographer Sebastião Salgado, who has spent forty years documenting deprived societies in hidden corners of the world.

Directors:

Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, Wim Wenders

Writers:

Wim Wenders (film by), Juliano Ribeiro Salgado (film by)

Stars:

Sebastião Salgado, Wim Wenders, Lélia Wanick Salgado

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 12 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Sebastião Salgado	...	Himself - Photographer
Wim Wenders	...	Himself - Narrator
Lélia Wanick Salgado	...	Herself - Sebastião's wife and collaborator
Juliano Ribeiro Salgado	...	Himself / Narrator
Hugo Barbier	...	Himself
Jacques Barthélémy	...	Himself
Régis Muller	...	Himself
João Pessoa Mattos	...	Himself
Leny Wanick Mattos	...	Sebastião's Sister-in-Law
Maria Teresa Salgado Rocha Bastos	...	Herself
Rodrigo Ribeiro Salgado	...	Sebastião's Son

Storyline

For the last 40 years, the photographer Sebastião Salgado has been travelling through the continents, in the footsteps of an ever-changing humanity. He has witnessed some of the major events of our recent history; international conflicts, starvation and exodus. He is now embarking on the discovery of pristine territories, of wild fauna and flora, and of grandiose landscapes as part of a huge photographic project which is a tribute to the planet's beauty.

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Plot Keywords:

humanity | starvation | rwandan genocide | wildlife photography | nature photography | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic material involving disturbing images of violence and human suffering, and for nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

France Brazil Italy

Language:

French English Portuguese

Release Date:

27 March 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

La sal de la Tierra

Filming Locations:

Yalimo, Papua, Indonesia

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$44,900, 29 March 2015, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,343,349

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,402,761

Company Credits

Production Co:

Decia Films, Amazonas Images, Solares Fondazione delle arti

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie title "The Salt of the Earth" is also a reference to the photographer's last name. Salgado is Portuguese for salty. If you add salt to something, it becomes "salgado". This can be interpreted in a wider way as the contribution that Salgado has given to the Earth (planet) or in a more literal way as the amazing change that he and the Salgado family has made in to their land, bringing back the native Rainforest to the Instituto Terra (the Earth Institute).

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Quotes

Sebastião Salgado - Photographer: To think that these three-month-old trees will reach their apex in 400 years. Perhaps from there we could try to grasp the concept of eternity. Maybe eternity is measurable.

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Connections

Featured in The Oscars (2015)

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Soundtracks

The Last Trip
Written by Laurent Petitgand
Performed by Laurent Petitgand

User Reviews

Thoughtful and Insightful

A fascinating Wim Wenders documentary about Brazilian photographer, Sabastiao Salgado, detailing his life, and varied photographic projects from around the world. Wonderfully filmed, imaginatively edited.

Mainly known as a social photographer, Sabastiao Salgado has documented and revealed the horrors of war, famine and poverty. His travels around the world have accessed hidden brutalities and exposed injustices.

Perhaps as a respite from the human extremes he has witnessed he has recently moved on to projects about the environment. The film features many of his photos and numerous interviews with insights into his personal life.