The Importance of Getting Down and Dirty

One of the experts in the film says it best: “We are in the midst of an ecological armageddon.”

But this is not a film about helplessness—it’s about being galvanized into action, no matter how humble. The focus is on how we can turn the tide of desertification, whether by starting a farm or simply composting our leftovers. Dirt! presents inspiring examples of individuals “doing the best they can” to remedy the the ecological crisis. Pierre Rabhi of France teaches farmers in Mali the principles of agroecology to help them reclaim the desert; in California, Alice Waters started the Edible Schoolyard project to involve children with the joys and responsibilities of growing their own food; Rikers Island prisoners can choose to be part of the green team and work in a garden program.

All of these projects help us heal our broken planet—and ourselves—as we restore our original relationship to the natural world. And there are unexpected consequences to reconnecting with dirt: Children who play on schoolyards of dirt versus asphalt, play more cooperatively, the film notes, and prisoners who work with the soil are more like to be rehabilitated. When it comes to positioning dirt as something sacred and precious, the movie hits pay Dirt!