Eleven minutes. One dump. Two strangers learning to be family.
Told over the space of a day and through the eyes of 11 year old Utah, The Dump is a comedy/drama about a boy and the gradual bond he develops with his estranged dad Orlando, the sole employee at a tiny rubbish dump in rural New Zealand.
Acting
Ruawai's wordless reactions speak volumes.
Direction
Bennett lets silence do the heavy lifting.
Cinematography
The dump becomes unexpectedly beautiful.
Director
Hamish Bennett
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Director Hamish Bennett later expanded his rural NZ storytelling into the acclaimed feature Bellbird, keeping his focus on working-class Māori and Pākehā communities.
The dump setting mirrors the emotional dynamic—both characters sifting through literal and figurative refuse, finding value in what others discard.
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