From the Unifrance Rendez-vous in Le Havre, MIAM! distribution announced its acquisition of international distribution rights for TRASH! (50’), a bold eco-comedy for young adults, produced by Darjeeling and currently airing on ARTE in France. Combining live action and stop-motion animation, TRASH! offers an irreverent, thought-provoking perspective on the fast consumption of single-use objects.
“This acquisition strengthens MIAM! distribution long-standing and successful collaboration with producer Darjeeling, a partnership that began with MIAM!’s founding in 2016 and has since delivered numerous international successes,” said Mélanie Errea, Head of Sales & Acquisitions at MIAM! distribution,. “Together, we’ve brought titles such as Yeti Tales (280 x 8’ + 40 x 2’30’’ + 2×26’ – Preschool), Our Summer of Freedom (6 x 26’ – Family) and Fail in Love (22 x 4’ – Teen/Young Adult) to international audience. TRASH! stands out for its distinctive hybrid graphic design and powerful storytelling. With a witty tone, it addresses the themes of fast consumption and the afterlife of our waste, delivering a message that resonates with our catalogue’s editorial vision.”
Synopsis: TRASH! follows the existential quest of Gobi, a single-use coffee cup suddenly facing the long stretch of eternity. After fulfilling his grand destiny — holding Mary’s latte for a solid three minutes — he’s left with a haunting question: figuring out how to spend the next 200 years before he decomposes. With sharp satire and dark humor, TRASH! drags into the spotlight what we’d rather not see: our garbage. What if it had a voice?
Created by Géraldine de Margerie (Loulou, Call My Agent) and Maxime Donzel (Toutouyoutou, Tutotal) and directed by Venice Mostra-awarded filmmaker Benjamin Nuel together with stop-motion animation veteran Kim Keukeleire (Chicken Run, Isle of Dogs, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio), TRASH! blends real-world locations with stop-motion animation. Parisian streets and sewers form the backdrop, while discarded objects are brought to life with handcrafted facial features. This low-tech, hands-on approach reinforces the series’ message by giving viewers a tangible connection to the material and the environmental issues the film explores.
The French voice cast includes well-known actors and social media influencers such as Sébastien Chassagne, Romane Bohringer, Anaïde Rozam, Jenny Letellier and Ludovic Franceschet — Paris’ most famous sanitation worker, with over 400K TikTok followers.
“The series quickly went viral online, amassing nearly 2 million views on TikTok in less than 10 days,” noted Marc Lustigman Executive Producer and Co-founder at Darjeeling. “TRASH! represents also a remarkable achievement in securing unprecedented financing and rallying the support of numerous French institutions committed to environmental and sustainable initiatives (Alcome, Gestes Propres, Syctom and Refashion).”
TRASH! is co-produced by ARTE France, Darjeeling, Foliascope, Inthebox, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cinéma, with support from CNC, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Haute-Savoie department, and Procirep-Angoa. The international sales are handled by MIAM! distribution.
The film is joining MIAM! distribution slate of young adult programs alongside best-selling titles like Boys Boys Boys (10 x 5’), It’s my body! (20 x 3’30) and Brazen (30 x 3’30).
