Cinequest Film Festival – It’s the not-too-distant future, 2026, to be exact. Poland enacted a law that allows police to enslave those convicted of severe crimes. While this dystopian premise of writer/director Michal Krzywicki’s The Day I Found a Girl in The Trash sounds bleak, the feature oddly has plenty of uplifting moments. It’s very much a movie about appreciating life.

In the film’s opening, we’re introduced to Blue (Dagmara Brodziak). Like other automatons, her head is shaved, and she wears a steel collar that robs her of emotions and memories. She’s tossed aside by a man who initially wants to use her for sexual pleasure. She’s discovered cowering near a trash can by activist Szymon (Krzywicki), who plans to commit suicide on New Year’s Eve to protest Poland’s legalized slavery. Except, Blue thwarts his plans and shifts his priorities.

For much of the film, the characters bond, while evading authorities. They even ride a dirt bike with a chicken that Blue stole from a farmer. This feature could have easily been depressing, but it’s not. Brodziak gives a compelling performance while barely saying a word. She conveys a child-like sense of wonder once the collar is off, be it from eating jellybeans, encountering a horse, or seeing the ocean. Szymon, meanwhile, learns that there’s more to life than posting YouTube videos and protesting. Blue teaches him to truly live and not bury his emotions like the automatons who are forced to perform mindless services to the community. Suddenly, he has second thoughts about suicide.

Some of the initial cinematography calls to mind Blade Runner, namely the cityscape. It feels like it’s constantly raining. The inky tones reflect the dystopia, while the only brightness comes from skyscrapers. However, once Blue and Szymon leave the city, there’s a remarkable shift, including plenty of natural daylight. It’s a nice contrast to the gloominess of the city where security guards roam the street and automatons are put to work filling orders at local restaurants. There’s also some real depth given to the characters. For instance, in the final 30 minutes, we’re introduced to Szymon’s father, played by Marek Kalita. He feels like his son doesn’t love him and cares about his activism more than family. He adds that he’s been dead to him for years, and he builds his life around the living. Ouch! While the father enters the film late, his impact makes a heck of a difference, leading to quite the ending. Blue, meanwhile, is a fascinating character too, growing slowly more aware of the world and gradually recovering some of her memories.

The Day I Found a Girl in The Trash is a beautiful journey between an activist, an automaton, and even a chicken. It’ll make you remember how awe-struck you felt seeing the ocean for the first time or dancing with strangers late into the night. While this feature has a dystopian premise, it’s so much better for refusing to wallow in despair. During these trying times, we can take all of the positive moments we can get.

7.5 Out of 10