Cardboard-Centric Surrealist Film Revealed as Elaborate Cover for Local Recycling Initiative, Critics Praise Environmental Commitment

Portland, OR – The recent release of the much-anticipated surrealist feature “Corrugated Dreams” has been lauded by both art-house film critics and sustainability advocates alike, following revelations that the project is, in fact, an elaborate cover for the city’s largest-ever recycling drive. The film, directed by local auteur Imogen Trees, garnered two standing ovations during its weeklong premiere at the Metroplex, and now receives fresh accolades for its unprecedented environmental impact.

Officials from the Portland Environmental Refurbishment Bureau (PERB) confirmed this week that the movie’s elaborate sets, props, and even costumes—each painstakingly crafted from post-consumer cardboard—were not so much artistic choices as logistical necessities for the city’s covert Clean Corrugate Initiative. The program, quietly launched in February, saw over 17,500 pounds of cardboard solicited from residents under the pretense of “participatory set design.” According to PERB spokesperson Maxim Felstra, “We needed a way to incentivize households to part with holiday Amazon boxes. Art seemed the most logical path.”

Art-world insiders now admit that early clues about the film’s agenda were buried in its opaque narrative. Reviewer Claudia Vive called the plot “deliberately impenetrable—a series of cardboard labyrinths enclosing actors dressed as cardboard, speaking only in box dimensions.” These creative choices, it turns out, were part of a city-sanctioned effort to maximize cardboard integration and obfuscate the recycling initiative’s civic origins. “It’s high-concept,” Trees explained at a recent Q&A, “in the sense that sustainable waste management is the highest art of all.”

Analysis of audience receipts has complicated early predictions about the film’s legacy. Attendance spiked among residents previously cited for blue-bin violations, with many exchanging ticket stubs for expedited code compliance. A post-screening survey, conducted by the Bureau of Community Endurance, found 79% of filmgoers reported “strong paper fiber odors,” and 12% admitted to bringing their own cardboard in hopes of cameo appearances. The initiative’s relative success has prompted other departments to consider similar cinematic covers, including a mooted film noir financed by the City Composting Unit.

Critics continue to praise “Corrugated Dreams” for its blend of artistic ambiguity and implacable resourcefulness. “It’s a bold environmental statement,” said arts columnist David Loeffel, “And if the looming piles of damp cardboard outside theaters are any indication, Portland has never been greener.”

The PERB has declined to comment on persistent rumors of a documentary follow-up featuring only interviews with flattened pizza boxes. No sequel has been announced at this time.