The Dumpster Dive is a captivating short documentary that blurs the lines between reality and fiction, offering a unique perspective through the lens of cockroach news anchors, Howard Scourge and Madison Von Vermin. Set within a dumpster television studio, the film unfolds as a talk show where the roach hosts report on the latest exploits of the human infestation.
Scourge and Von Vermin delve into the issue of microplastics with the help of “field reporters”, weaving together expert testimonials, collage animation, puppetry, and even a few real live cockroaches to tell the story. The roaches interact with scientists and plastic experts, presenting a comical yet thought-provoking exploration of the potentially dire consequences of microplastics for their species' biggest nuisance: humans.
As a hybrid film, The Dumpster Dive creatively combines elements of documentary and fiction, offering a fresh and entertaining perspective on environmental concerns. The film has been recognized as an Official Selection at the Cucalorus Film Festival and is available for educational distribution, making it an engaging resource for colleges, high schools, and community groups.
The Dumpster Dive will fit right into any university collection that serves large basic science, public policy, and ecology classes. This short film won’t fail to hold young adults’ attention while teaching them the basics about consumerist overconsumption and the spread of microplastics throughout microbiomes. While the entertainment value of this short film is fairly high, the trade-off is that both its short length and focus on humor detract from its informative value.
Many instructors will be willing to make the trade, but patrons at public libraries may want something a bit meatier. Those seeking more concrete information can be directed toward other titles such as The Illusion of Abundance, but The Dumpster Dive serves as a perfect classroom resource for instructors looking to start conversations around humanity’s waste problem or microplastics. High School libraries serving active AP science programs would also see substantial use in this title. Recommended.
What kind of college instructor could use this title?
Any professor of biology teaching 101-type courses will want The Dumpster Dive for classroom use if they discuss pollution or microplastics.
What kind of film series could use this title?
A library film series about pollution and microplastics could utilize The Dumpster Dive for some much-needed humor between more serious documentaries.