Garbage Dreams is a documentary film which sheds light on how much the world needs to refocus its values. This film proves that modernization is not always the best idea. The film introduces us to Cairo’s most influential, but highly underappreciated, social group, Christians known as the Zaballeen. Their livelihoods are centered on collecting and recycling Cairo’s trash. This is all they know, but now foreign garbage companies want to strip them of their livelihood. The Zaballeen live on the outskirts of Cairo, where hey recycle 80 percent of everything they collect — almost four times more than any other country. This is because they use the old fashioned method, hands- on. They don’t use complicated machines and their work is saving the earth.

The film focuses on three Zaballeen boys who have big dreams about their futures: Adham, Nabil, and Osama. The boys in Garbage Dreams are alike and yet so different. Osama is viewed as the trouble- maker who can’t keep a job. In reality, he is misunderstood and longs for somebody who won’t make fun of him. At the end of the film he gets a job working with a foreign trash company. His friends call him a traitor but he is happy to be working where people appreciate him.

Adham’s father has been imprisoned, so Adham has had to assume all the responsibility of being the family breadwinner. This is a burden he never wanted. His real desire is to travel to Europe or America and create a business of his own. Even though his family wants him to marry, that is not on his mind

Nabil is very family orientated. He wants to marry and hopes for the best for his family and the rest of the Zaballeen. At one point in the film, Nabil travels to the Netherlands to study Western recycling methods. He is shocked that the Dutch can recycle only 20 percent because of lack of labor. At the end of the film Nabil is working at the Zaballeen’s recycling school.

The Zaballeen are very inspirational people. There is nothing wrong with their old-fashioned methods because they get the job done. Everybody works in garbage and the film shows how crowded the Zaballeen’s neighborhood is with trash. But it doesn’t bother them because this is how they support themselves. They are precise and recycle everything that a machine would leave behind. When the foreign companies invade, the Zaballeen are forced to make a decision, modernize their ways or get left behind. They choose modernization but only to a slight extent. They adopt a separation system for trash and try to work out a compromise with the companies. They even send their youth to Europe to learn about modern recycling. Two years later, when the film ends, their situation still isn’t progressing.

The sad reality is that the Zaballeen are very underappreciated. We have people in this world who are actually doing something for the planet and others are willing to replace them so easily. Then we turn around and claim that we care about climate change and the environment. This is hypocritical. Profit should not be put ahead of the welfare of others. Osama, Nabil, and Adham are young and so desperately want to succeed. For Osama this means working with the “enemies” and for Adham this means traveling away from his home. It isn’t their fault and they shouldn’t have to be put in a situation where they must make these choices. Garbage Dreams shows just how much we need to get our priorities straight and give more attention to the things that really matter.