Trailer for Salvage | USA | 10 min

Salvage questions the allure of old objects by reimagining obsolete tools as reliquaries haunted by the souls of disgruntled workers who resent their new jobs. This hybrid intersectional documentary uses magic realism to critique the inequities of gender, ethnicity, and class that underpin consumer capitalism.

Architectural and design salvage (exposed brick, reclaimed wood, vintage machines, etc.) has become an interior decorating cliché—its weathered patinas softening the hard edges of IKEA furniture, warming the cool surfaces of Apple laptops, and adding personality and interest to countless food, retail, and domestic spaces. When properly aged and curated, these artifacts can even confer distinction, status, and good taste upon their new owners. But what if they were more than just quaint commodities? I made this film to honor my uncle and other working people who've been harassed by sexist bosses, othered by racist tourists, and exploited by an economic system that fetishizes the remnants of blue collar lives even as it undermines the unions that protect them.