We’re heading into the final two days of our Kickstarter campaign to fund “I, Party Cup,” our documentary biography of a celebrated throwaway American icon. And we really need your help!
Our filmmaker, John Pavlus of Small Mammal Productions, is ready to start work. He’s champing at the bit. A hundred people have already pledged to support the project. The party’s all set to go. All we’re waiting for is … you.
Remember that on Kickstarter, we don’t get a cent from you, or anyone else, unless we reach our goal. So if we’re going to make it to the finish line, we’re going to need you to pitch in.
Because this is the internet, silly, we got comments when we announced this project. I’d like to address one of them here:
I hate red plastic cups! They destroy the Earth! Why are you celebrating them?
“I, Party Cup” isn’t intended to glorify or fetishize a dumb piece of plastic that too often pads out the trash. But this thing is a part of our world, for better and worse. We can just denounce it and watch as the landfills keep growing. Or we can try to understand the decisions that shaped a tiny, ubiquitous part of our world — an element that we would otherwise take entirely for granted.
As Pavlus explains it in his trailer for the project, it’s all about curiosity. And, I’d add, also about having a little fun along the way.
No, but really, you’re supposed to be all about sustainability at Grist, and here you are raising money for a film about a plastic cup?
Sure, we’re playing against type here. But also: Who of us is pure? We all participate in a disposable world. The Red Party Cup is a part of our lives. Let us understand it better even as we try to use it less.
If you back our Kickstarter project, there’s a bunch of rewards on tap — you can see the whole list here.
The other thing to know is that every dollar you commit to support this documentary will be matched in the form of a gift to Grist from a generous, anonymous donor. So every contribution to the project also supports the independent green news and advice Grist serves up year-round. It’s a twofer!
