In “The Rich, the Poor and the Trash,” co-directors Naomi Phillips and Thomas Hasel take viewers on a journey to explore the complex relationships between people, waste, and social inequality. Through captivating storytelling, the documentary delves into the lives of those who work with and live off trash to expose the stark contrast between the world’s richest and poorest regions.
Audiences will meet Godwin Ochieng, a 28-year-old who resides in Dandora, a Kenyan slum located near one of Africa’s largest dumpsites. Spending his days sifting through the never-ending piles of garbage delivered from wealthy districts, Ochieng hopes to find something he can sell to make ends meet. Meanwhile, halfway around the world in New York City, Pierre Simmons scours the streets for cans he can sell to recycling companies. Both Ochieng and Simmons live in countries where the wealth gap between the rich and the poor is vast, and the documentary aims to shed light on the severe societal and economic consequences of such drastic inequality.
