The Dominican Republic has more than 340 open-air landfills without any type of management or control, which have become highly-concentrated areas of air and water pollution. Fortunately, the country is witnessing cultural changes which are creating initiatives that convert this “problem” into an opportunity for development. The message is clear: trash is no longer just trash, rather it has value. As long as trash can be utilized, it is not trash. The appropriate term is “discarded material,” a resource which is raw material and then turned into a new product. Produced by GFDD/Funglode, the film depicts how recycling has become an important economic opportunity for Dominicans.

Directors: Natasha Despotovic and Alex Tabar

Country: Dominican Republic

Year: 2015

Duration: 17 min

Language: Spanish

Subtitles: English

 

Alexandra Tabar
Alexandra Tabar born in the Dominican Republic, Alex has also lived in Barcelona, Miami and finally was adopted by New York City in 2008. She majored in Advertising and completed her Master’s Degree in Media Production. In more than 10 years she has developed a diverse portfolio, with projects spanning from entertainment to educational content for web, mobile, video/onair and print.

Natasha Despotovic
Natasha Despotovic is the director of the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) and the executive director of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD), a US non profit organization. A national of Croatia and the Dominican Republic, Natasha currently lives in the Washington DC metro area and divides her working time between Washington DC, New York and the Dominican Republic . Following an academic background in Philosophy and Spanish, French and English literature and linguistics, Natasha has had an extensive and diverse international career in which she has held-high level positions in the private, public, non-governmental and multilateral sectors in Europe, the Dominican Republic and the United States. Her professional experience is very expansive and ranges from teaching, writing, translation, film production, architecture, interior design and holistic health to business management, public relations, marketing, international development, international affairs and non-profit management. At GFDD she leads numerous international sustainable development programs as well as book publishing and filmmaking projects. In her free time, she continues to operate her hotel property Villa Serena in the Dominican Republic and practices as a yoga and meditation teacher and homeopath.

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