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DIVE!
a film by Jeremy Seifert
divethefilm.com

music by Timothy Vatterott
timothyvatterott.com

Available on DVD now at divethefilm.com

Grocery stores around the country are filling their dumpsters with food. Not rotten, spoiled food, but billions of pounds of good, edible food.

Why? Because the expiration date is nearing? Because it costs less to simply throw away excess food rather than do something helpful with it?

Whatever the answer, the contradiction is profound: good, edible food is being thrown away in the very same communities where people are going hungry.

Follow filmmaker Jeremy Seifert and his circle of friends as they “dumpster dive” in the back alleys and gated garbage receptacles of L.A.’s supermarkets. In the process, they uncover thousands of dollars worth of good food and an ugly truth about waste in America: grocery stores know they are wasting and most refuse to do anything about it.

In the meantime, Seifert and friends no longer spend money on groceries. With nothing more than a big appetite and a strong stomach, they “dive” for Pacific Salmon, American Ground Beef, New Zealand Lamb Chops, Free-Range Whole Chickens, Pork Loins,
and loads of fresh fruit, vegetables, and bread. Totally edible, totally free, and totally illegal.

Why aren’t grocery stores giving the food to people who need it? Seifert takes this question to corporate front offices in an attempt to find out. The result is equal parts entertainment, guerrilla journalism, and call to action.

The power of the film lies in its ability to motivate: it will move you to question the manager at your supermarket; it will move you to learn about food waste and the role it plays in your community. In the end, you might even find yourself in a dumpster.

divethefilm.com

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  • Glen K. Richards 2 years ago
    This looks SOOO good.
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  • Nathan Dalton 1 year ago
    looks great! where can we buy the DVD?
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  • David Alexander 1 year ago
    Thanks for making the video and the trailer. It is a shame that this currently goes on OUTSIDE the system. Why can't there be better use of these food resources in an organized manner?
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  • David Alexander 1 year ago
    One other point not mentioned explicitly in the trailer (maybe it is in the full video): being wasteful is a state of mind. Living mindful of the value of the material goods we have, and feeling grateful for what we have, is an important aspect of overcoming the buy-and-burn consumerism that currently dominates industrialized nations. A mindful society would find a better way to avoid much of the waste that permeates our current economic systems. From another viewpoint, much of the consciousness raising will appear and develop at the level of the individual human being.
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  • Joana Guzman 1 year ago
    This is great. My mom has thought me this since she works in an elementary school in California and and a lot of food is thrown every single day. The staff puts the left overs ion black plastic bags and throws them. It is perfectly clean and good it makes me sad. I then take the food to some shelters, if they'll accepted of course, eat some or take it to the Mexican border. Thank you for doing this.
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  • Amanda Richards 1 year ago
    I used to work for a Supermarket in Florida and I was told on several occasions that they were not allowed to give away or donate the "spoiled" food because they used to and then the people who were receiving the foods "discovered that they made more money by suing the store for food poisoning than they would benefit by just taking the food". At least that is what I was told. But on the other hand every week the bakery (where I worked) donated the day old breads and pastries to the local church for their ministry meeting... So take that as you will, I think it is BS....
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  • Mark Polo 1 year ago
    Ummm, how do you know it's not like "bad" food? E.g. Contaminated or expired?
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  • liberation 1 year ago
    Freegan!!!
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  • Robert Huston 1 year ago
    I agree, this is a complicated issue, but this film brings to light what is basic-thinking and moral versus what a corporate will do, not to get sued. Starbucks in NYC is the same issue that Amanda stated in an earlier comment. We were told not to give away food, or donate it, since Starbucks was liable if that person got sick, etc . . .

    Can't wait to purchase this and watch it!
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  • Danny Carmeli 1 year ago
    This looks amazing, can NOT WAIT till it comes out!
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  • Rebecca Feiner 1 year ago
    This is great- London UK also crininally wastes food- Viva the dumpster men & women !
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  • Elissa Bogos 1 year ago
    Looking forward to seeing the whole film.
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  • Kid Krayon - 22/7 6 months ago
    Wow! Back in 1987, I worked for a summer in a Pizza Hut - by far, the worst job that I ever had. Every night, part of my duties was to throw away the "unused" dough - i.e. it had been prepared to cook in and was sitting in oil, inside the pizza pans, ready to cook. There was about two garbage bags full of dough and oil each night and it blew my mind that it was just being trashed ... but it never occurred to me that this was just the tip of the iceberg as far as it being a North American (and European?) horror story of sorts. Kudos to you for revealing the reality of it all an shining some light on an alternate means of making ends meet.
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  • xlla 6 months ago
    Americans(&Canada) are the most gluttonous people on the face of this planet!!

    A change is comm'n, if we like it OR not.
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  • Matthew Pickart plus 3 months ago
    Way to be guys way to be!
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  • priscila guedes plus 2 months ago
    YEAAAAAH! o/
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  • Tanner Carlson plus 3 weeks ago
    I have many friends who work for New Seasons, Trader Joes, QFC, Safeway and even thought they can claim some old goods, a majority of it they are not allowed to take home for ridiculous reasons. I really appreciate that this topic has been given voice. Thank you.
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