Twice a year, the waste management company offers a pickup service of bulky items such as water heaters, sofas and such. When I took evening walks, I marveled at the things people considered junk. It didn’t take long before collectors heard about it. When we put out old bunk beds and some of the kids’ college apartment furniture, they were gone before morning.

The movie is a celebration of such collectors, and those who move in after the major harvest is over. Set in France, it covers the historic aspects of gleaning, features paintings in which gleaning is the subject and the range of individuals who come with their bags, baskets and bikes. The filmmaker inserts herself into the activities, sometimes in a poignant way, sometimes a bit annoyingly. But these instances serve to enrich the documentary by giving us glimpses into her attitude about aging.

A family member, skeptical of the subject, was reluctant to watch, but was mesmerized throughout. What did we eat. Hmm. Fried chicken livers, baked yams, spinach salad. Chili. Part of a sausage/potato casserole. It was leftovers night.