Wasteland

In the movie Wasteland, Vik and his wife disagreed about whether or not it was good to take the people out of the landfill for a short time.  Vik believed it would be good for them to get out and see what else the world has to offer.  He thought this experience would inspire them to find something better to do with their lives.  The people he met while he was at the landfill didn't know what the rest of the world was like.  They only knew what happened in their own lives day to day.  Vik's hopes were to get them to better their lives by realizing what other cultures are like.

Vik's wife, however, disagreed.  She thought that Vik's plans to take them out of the landfill for a time would only make them more miserable when it was time to go back to their real lives.  She didn't think this project would do anything but harm to these people.  When Vik first interviewed the people, they were happy.  They were proud of their work there because it meant they weren't selling their bodies or drugs.  Vik's wife feared that they would lose this happiness and pride when they realized what else the world has to offer and not be able to make a change.

I agree with Vik in this situation.  By having them make their own artworks, he was showing them that they have more options in life than being a garbage picker.  He gave them the means to make something happen in their lives.  They were so proud of their pictures and put them on display in their homes to look at all the time.  When they were interviewed at the museum, they all mentioned about how proud they were to turn the garbage and recycling they work with on a daily basis into art.  They are all intelligent, creative individuals, and Vik's project helped them realize it.  In the end credits, it showed where the people featured in the story ended up, and many of them made something happen in their lives.  One lady left her husband like she'd wanted to do for a while.  One lady tried something else and missed the landfill and went back.  This project helped them make a decision about where they wanted to be in their lives, instead of taking working in the landfill as their only option.