Plastic China

The Lives of Recycling Plant Workers in China

This film documents a plastic recycling facility in a small town dedicated to the business of processing plastic waste. The facility is operated by two families: the family of the owner and a family of employees. Eleven-year-old Yi-Jie works alongside her parents while dreaming of attending school. Kun, the facility's ambitious foreman, hopes for a better life. PLASTIC CHINA examines global consumption and culture through the eyes and hands of those who handle its refuse.

Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize World Cinema - Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival. Nominated for Best Editing at the Golden Horse Film Festival.

"PLASTIC CHINA reflects the harsh reality of the nation's economic development through the conditions of two families at a waste recycling facility, the great material, physical, and psychological price they pay, their aspirations toward wealth, and their complete disregard for individual quality of life." - Ai Weiwei