The documentary is the brainchild of Dr Allison Lindner who wished to translate her doctoral research into a widely accessible medium. It was directed by Premilla Murcott and Tricia Hlongwa. Dr Lindner’s thesis focused on how international legal ideas such as sustainable development shape the lives of the most vulnerable among us, in this case, waste pickers in South Africa. It found that the lived reality of sustainable development does not accord with its aspiration. Waste pickers work hard to collect and sell recyclable materials for a living, while saving South African municipalities millions of rand per year in landfill space. Yet, they continue to live in poverty with little opportunity to move into any formal sector.

The film consists of stunning visuals of waste management activity in Johannesburg, and interviews of waste management stakeholders including waste pickers. The trailer to the documentary can be viewed here. About the Producer: Allison Lindner is Lecturer at the Faculty of Laws, University College London. She is an interdisciplinary legal scholar who draws on economics and sociology to understand the connections between human activity, the environment and the law.

About the Directors:

Premilla Murcott has over ten years of experience editing documentaries and television shows, including Time of Pandemics and the award-winning How To Steal A Country.Premilla won an award at the Canadian Labour International Film Festival in 2021, for her documentary entitled Street Traders on the Move.

Tricia Hlongwa has over a decade's experience in documentary, film and talk television including shows for the South African Broadcasting Corporation, BBC and Al Jazeera. She is a social impact content producer and director, focusing on issues of human rights, land rights, participatory democracy and the environment. This event is organised jointly with the Critical Lawyers at Warwick (CLAW).