What do we humans leave in our wake, on and around our planet? In Radiant Mountain, director Miguel Moraes Cabral frames his answer in long, observational shots rather than activist language. On one stretch of land, somewhere on the Iberian Peninsula, he films the traces humans have been leaving there since prehistoric times. The area is now an archaeological treasure trove, containing remains of a civilization dating back some 6,000 years. We see a young family on a day out visiting Stone Age menhirs, while elsewhere crowds gather for an air show.
The centerpiece of the film, however, is the gigantic, ever-growing landfill that dominates this landscape. Processing all this waste generates profits and employment, but disrupts the surrounding natural environment. A group of ornithologists monitors a population of storks feeding at the landfill, and records changes in their migration patterns. The image of a bird high in the sky with a long, thin strand hanging from its legs lingers in the mind for a long time.
