When: Wednesday 03 March 2010 - 19:00 Ends Wednesday 03 March 2010 - 21:00
MassRecycle and the Quincy Environmental Network are sponsoring a screening of Garbage Dreams, an award-winning documentary, on Wednesday, March 3 at Atlantic Middle School (86 Hollis Avenue, Quincy, MA). Garbage Dreams follows three teenage boys born into the trash trade who grow up in the world’s largest garbage village on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. The village is home to 60,000 Zaballeen, Arabic for “garbage people”. Far ahead of any modern “green” initiatives, the Zaballeen survive by recycling 80 percent of the trash they collect. When their community is suddenly faced with the globalization of its trade, each of the boys is forced to make a choice that will impact his future and the survival of his community. The film will be followed by brief panel discussions about ways to increase recycling locally and statewide.
Director/Producer Mia Iskander says the purpose of this film is “to encourage people to re-examine the true value of what they throw away each day and the real cost of throwing out the expertise of Zaballeen." She also hopes people will "see a little bit of themselves in the three teenagers of the film." Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore presented the 2009 REEL Current Award to the documentary Garbage Dreams at the Nashville Film Festival. Gore presents the award annually to a film that gives outstanding insight into a contemporary global issue.
Dmitriy Nikolayev, President of MassRecycle, had this to say about the film, “Garbage Dreams is an amazingly touching human story and highlights how much more we can recycle in our own communities. We hope that the story of the Zabbaleen, who recycle 80 percent of the garbage they collect, will inspire Massachusetts residents to support additional recycling initiatives. After all, our own recycling rate is around 33 percent.”
MassRecycle has planned 5 additional screenings of Garbage Dreams and panel discussions across the state (in Burlington, Groton, Holyoke, Lowell and Quincy). Dates and locations will be added throughout the winter and spring. All events are free and open to the public, but an RSVP is requested at Link
