On September 17, the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts held a screening of the documentary, "Garbage Dreams." The 2009 film follows the lives of three young men living in the world's largest garbage village outside of Cairo, Egypt, known as Mokattam. The men are just three of 60,000 Zaballeen, Arabic for garbage people. They make a living by recycling over 80% of the garbage that they collect in their village—4,000 tons daily.
The Zabaleen are considered second-class citizens, and the group is made up primarily by Copts, the largest Christian community and the largest religious minority in the Middle East. Copts are often persecuted for their Christian faith, and are often the targets of assaults and hate crimes.
Their struggle comes when their city is preparing to switch contracting over to a garbage-collecting company. The three of these boys are suddenly faced with the realities of their life, and the fact that their life is about to change completely. The boys all face similar difficulties in terms of their family lives and their worries about the future. However, they are living in a world where they face so many challenges on a daily basis.
The most fascinating part about the film, I found, was the fact that it was filmed over a period of four years. So, to see the young men grow up on the film lets the viewers feel a personal connection to the characters.
It is an amazing story to see and hear what these people go through on a daily basis. It really puts things into perspective when their lives seem to be lacking so much and they have to endure so much. It really makes some of the daily struggles we all face every day seem a little less significant. This is a great story about overcoming the odds and making something better out of oneself.
The documentary's website shows how to help these impoverished people. They are attempting to raise $300,000 for the purchase of land for the development of a new school, The Recycling School, which is operated by The Spirit of Youth Association. They offer a link to contribute a tax-deductible donation to the cause, and offer the program's literature in a brochure format.
The film was shown as part of the LCVA's General Education Film Series, which commonly screens documentaries and independent films. It has received much acclaim for its raw look into three very unpleasant young lives. It won Best Documentary at the Hollywood Film Festival and over 20 other major film festival awards. The film is a PBS production, For more information about the documentary and the Zaballeen people, visit www.garbagedreams.com, and also visit www.longwood.edu/lcva.com.
