"Garbage Dreams"

Last night, I attended a screening of a film called "Garbage Dreams", which follows the lives of three teenage boys living in an area of Cairo called Moqattam. Because it is home to over 60,000 Zaballeen (trash collectors) who earn their living by recycling up to 80% of the garbage collected throughout Cairo, Moqattam is also known as "Garbage City". (See this post for photos from my first trip to the neighborhood.)

The film was incredibly interesting, examining the challenges the Zaballeen face as their trade is affected by globalization, particularly by Cairo's move to privatize trash collection through a $50 million contract with three foreign companies. It was both heart-breaking and thought-provoking.

The film was shown at a great venue called Darb 1718, a contemporary art and culture center in an area of town near Coptic Cairo. According to its website, Darb 1718 focuses on “(1) exhibiting the works of largely unseen local artists alongside those of established regional and international artists who have rarely or never exhibited in Egypt, (2) providing local artists with opportunities for international exposure and cross-cultural exchanges, and (3) implementing developmental programs that include workshops, debates, films and other educational initiatives.”

The film was shown outside, projected against the side of a neighboring buildling. The crowd that had gathered to watch it sat in orange beanbag chairs on the small grass lawn and on the roof of the building. It was certainly not a typical Egyptian evening, except, perhaps, for the oppressive heat and crowded Metro trains!