‘Matter Out of Place’ Examines How We Dispose of Our Trash – Variety

Source: ‘Matter Out of Place’ Examines How We Dispose of Our Trash – Variety

In the mesmerizing and strangely beautiful documentary “Matter Out of Place,” which world premiered in International Competition at the Locarno Film Festival and screens at CPH:DOX on March 26, Austrian director Nikolaus Geyrhalter looks at how we dispose of our trash. But, taking a broader view, he is trying to gain a better understanding of mankind, and the impact it is having on the planet, he tells Variety.

The locations for the film are wide ranging: it moves from the mountains of Switzerland to the coasts of Greece and Albania, to an Austrian refuse incinerator, and then to Nepal and the Maldives, and finally to the deserts of Nevada for the Burning Man event.

When choosing locations, sound was as much of a consideration as the images. Geyrhalter says he invested heavily in capturing high-quality surround sound, which is designed to be heard using Dolby Atmos, and then carefully fine tuned the results when it came to sound design and sound mixing during post-production. The sound works hand-in-hand with the cinematography, which was shot using a RED 4K camera. “To tell this kind of story, we need these rather long, wide-angle shots, to make the scenery kind of a stage actually,” Geyrhalter says. Aerial shots are also employed, using drones, but from a fixed position, as if they were a tripod in the air, he says. The overall objective is to immerse the viewer in the environment so they “forget they are sitting in the cinema; they really become part of [the landscape].”