Matter Out of Place

Matter Out of Place

106' 2022
dir.: Nikolaus Geyrhalter

The Austrian master's camera follows the people who do our dirty work – from sterile alpine peaks to monstrous landfills that have taken on lives of their own, through underground cave corridors filled with toxic gifts for posterity. 

We all generate it in staggering amounts, but where does our trash go once it's out of sight? Geyrhalter's meticulous journey takes us from the alpine heights to the depths of subterranean caves, unveiling the final repositories of our refuse. He documents the diverse methods of collection and transportation, from cable cars ferrying garbage trucks to remote mountain resorts to ships tasked with cleaning up the wastes of island luxury hotels in the Indian Ocean. This film exposes both familiar places and those beyond our wildest imaginations. As we are drawn into the film through Geyrhalter's artfully precise storytelling, we are compelled to confront a critical question: Does humanity have the capacity to effectively manage its own waste? 

Festivals

2022 Viennale
2022 DOK Leipzig
2022 Ji.hlava
2022 IDFA
2023 CPH:DOX
2023 Millennium Docs Against Gravity
2024 WATCH DOCS IFF

106' 2022 Austria
Director
Nikolaus Geyrhalter
Cinematography
Nikolaus Geyrhalter
Editing
Samira Ghahremani
Production
NGF - Nikolaus Geyrhalter Filmproduktion GmbH