20 Things You Didn't Know About Interstellar
7. The Dust Storms Were Created Using Biodegradable Cardboard
Early in the movie, we learn that dust storms have been making people's lives hell, as evidenced when Cooper drives his kids through town after the baseball game.
Presumably, these storms would've been easy to create using digital effects, but Nolan being Nolan, he decided to go with a more practical approach.
In an interview to promote the film, actress Jessica Chastain discussed what it was like to film in these dusty environments, while also mentioning that the realistic look of the storms was achieved by using a biodegradable cardboard material:
"In every scene that I was outside, I was having chunks of dust tossed at my face. It was a biodegradable material that was made out of cardboard, but still not a fun thing. But I loved every minute of it."
Definitely sounds unpleasant, but also an effective way to immerse your actors in the harsh reality of this world.