Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage (NR)

synopsis

"Gone Tomorrow" explores the history and politics of garbage, a substance both hidden and omnipresent. In 1998, each American dumped 1,600 pounds of refuse, and our mountains of trash get bigger every year. To investigate the roots of our waste addicted culture, this 19-minute documentary excavates the history of garbage handling from the 1800s to the post-WWII golden era of consumption and up through the contradictions of modern day recycling. Using interviews, scenes from massive dumps, and an array of obscure and beautiful archival footage, this film uncovers the links between modern industrial production, consumer culture, and our disposable lifestyle. The film is serious yet wryly humorous; and while its subject is ugly, its images and rhythm foreground the unintentional beauty of production, waste, and the stories our culture tells about both. Most of all, the film attempts to answer the question: why do we produce so much trash and what can be done about it?