GFDD Short
Productions
Garbage or Resource? A Dominican Republic Experience
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. They are an unseen danger for every Dominican. 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. Garbage or Resource? A Dominican Republic Experience, a film produced by GFDD/FUNGLODE, depicts how recycling has become an important economic opportunity for Dominicans. Through various corporate and educational projects, the viewer observes how– aside from the obvious environmental benefits– recycling enables economic development through the generation of new companies and industries. A short film which inspires, moves and calls to action.
Original Title: ¿Basura o Recurso? Experiencia de la República Dominicana
Director: Natasha Despotovic
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Year of completion: 2013
Duration: 17 minutes
Format: DVD
Language: Spanish
Subtitle: English
Awards
Credits:
Executive Producer: Natasha Despotovic
Director: Natasha Despotovic
Original Idea: Natasha Despotovic
Writers: Alexandra Tabar, Emy Rodríguez
Cinematography: Angel Castellanos
Camera: Angel Castellanos, Jesús Frías
Producer: Alexandra Tabar
Assistant Producer: Reydi Moreta
Post Production / Editor: Angel Castellanos
Biography of Director:
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 mediation teacher and homeopath.
Photo Gallery
