Watch Dive!

Dive! is a thought-provoking and eye-opening documentary that sheds light on the shocking amount of perfectly good food that goes to waste in the United States on a daily basis. The film is directed and narrated by Jeremy Seifert, who probes deeper into this issue by dumpster-diving for food and talking to people who work in the food industry, grocery store executives, and experts on the topic.

The movie charts the journey of Seifert and his friends as they explore dumpsters behind grocery stores in Los Angeles, where they are able to find perfectly edible fruits, vegetables, bread, and other food items that have been discarded. Seifert was inspired to make the film when he learned that 96 billion pounds of food are thrown away every year in the United States, while around 49 million Americans struggle with food insecurity.

The documentary highlights the vast amounts of food that grocery stores throw away because they are close to their expiration dates, not because they are inedible. In fact, the food that Seifert finds in the dumpsters is often still fresh and perfectly good to eat. The film notes that much of the food waste is due to the culture of overconsumption and the desire for perfect-looking produce, leading to a large amount of food being wasted before it even gets to the consumer.

Seifert and his team also speak to experts such as Jonathan Blundell, executive director of Food Forward, who recounts stories of the millions of pounds of produce that go unharvested every year due to unrealistic cosmetic standards. The film also delves into the issue of food waste in the fishing industry, highlighting how regulations that require the catching of specific fish sizes and species results in perfectly edible fish being thrown back into the ocean.

The documentary also explores the impact of food waste on the environment, looking at the emissions released from the decomposing food that ends up in landfills. This waste not only produces methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, but also takes up much-needed space in landfills that could be used for other waste.

Seifert also examines the ethical implications of food waste, particularly in light of the increasing number of people who cannot afford to put food on the table. The documentary shows how dumpsters are often the only source of food for many homeless people and explores how organizations such as Food Not Bombs are working to combat food waste by collecting and redistributing food in need.

Throughout the film, Seifert introduces a range of characters, such as Terry, a seasoned dumpster diver who has turned it into an art form, and Walter, a grocery store manager who is passionate about finding ways to reduce food waste. The diverse perspectives highlight the different ways in which food waste affects people in the US, and how there is no single solution to the problem.

Dive! is a powerful documentary that raises important questions about the wastefulness of consumer culture and the need for environmental and social responsibility. Seifert's personal journey into the world of dumpster diving is both inspiring and educational, offering a fascinating look into a world that is hidden from view for most of us. The film forces us to confront the uncomfortable reality of what happens to the food that we take for granted and encourages us to think about how we can all make a difference.

Dive! is a 2010 documentary with a runtime of 53 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.2.