The Story of Plastic

The dawn of plastic in the modern world was viewed as a miracle. Versatile, durable, and cheap – everything could be made or stored in plastic – What a panacea! The story today is quite different: dead whales wash ashore with bellies bursting with plastic waste, beautiful beaches are littered with trash, and microplastics form large islands in the sea. All the while, manufacturing of new plastic has skyrocketed, with no plan in place on how to deal with the remains.

The Story of Plastic takes us on a grand journey from Pennsylvania, through the Philippines, Indonesia, and to China. From the polluting oil production in the West, to the mountains of plastic found on the other side of the world. The documentary harbours an impressive ambition to expose the truth concerning the production line of plastic, as well as the reality behind multinational corporations’ vows to recycle. It shows us, as is so often the case with global challenges, that it is the poorest nations that bear the brunt of the problem.

Despite the monumental challenges caused by plastic, there are those dedicating their lives to change the situation: We meet tireless activists fighting both on a minute scale in local communities, as well as on a global scale where the aim is international legislation to prevent the world from drowning in its own miracle substance. The Story of Plastic leaves you informed, and with the realization that everyone needs to be part of a solution!

Panel: The fight against plastic

Before the screening at SALT on Tuesday, August 25, we invite you to a conversation on a broad range of topics related to the environmental and political challenges related to the production and recycling of plastic. WWF – this year’s charity of the fundraiser “TV-Aksjonen”– will tell us why we should donate to their cause: plastic recycling in South East Asia. We will also discuss what it takes to create the sufficient regulations needed to deal with the problem of plastic, and whether there are sustainable alternatives to this miracle substance.

The panel consists of Fredrik Myhre, senior advisor of fisheries and marine environment at WWF, secretary general of Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature, Maren Esmark (additional panelists TBA). The panel will be moderated by Anna Serafima Svendsen Kvam.

Director’s bio:

Deia Schlosberg is a producer and director known for being passionately involved in several climate change-related films. During the filming of her previous film she was arrested for filming an anti-fossil fuel protest for which she risked 45 years in prison. She has received two student Emmys.