Two men, one trash can, zero dignity — late-night therapy for the emotionally dumpstered.
Dumpster tells the story of what happens when Jim, a janitor on the campus of an elite university, discovers Francis, a wealthy frat boy, hiding in a mobile garbage bin. Jim wrestles with adult responsibilities at home with his girlfriend and her child, while Francis struggles to overcome his roommate's suicide, getting 'dumped' by his girlfriend, and outgrowing the fraternity scene. Their late-night meetings at the Dumpster allow them to shed their labels and uniforms and find out how the other half lives, while discovering some good stuff in the dumpster.
Acting
Carpenter and Conrad's chemistry in a glorified trash can
Writing
Dialogue that finds poetry in garbage and grief
Production
Transforms one location into entire emotional universe
Director
John Rice
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot for under $50,000 in Pittsburgh, the entire film was completed in just 12 days with most scenes filmed in an actual construction-site dumpster.
The film quietly predicted the 2008 recession's class anxiety, with Jim's precarious gig work and Francis's hollow privilege feeling eerily prescient.
US
