Clean Barry
VIDEO
SHORT FILM

Clean Barry is a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspired by the flawed anti heroes of 70’s detective films/series such as The Sweeney (Kennedy Martin, 1974) or more specifically Dirty Harry (Siegel, 1971). We transposed Clint Eastwood’s character Harry Callahan from the streets of San Francisco to the dirty steps of Liverpool and called him: Detective Barry Klein. Dirty Harry was “skillfully tailored towards its intended audience: frustrated older Americans... (who) didn’t recognise their country anymore.” (Tarantino, 2022, p57). Similarly, Clean Barry follows suit reflecting the anxieties of our intended audience, the disaffected youth, who’s worlds encompassed the four corners of their rooms during the time of the pandemic. At the start of the film Barry has just been named as head of a new department made specifically to crack down on COVID flaunters. Barry goes out on his first patrol hellbent on enforcing the new restrictions. He encounters a secret party and shuts it down with devastating force.

Clean Barry won Best Film at the innaugral LIPA Annual Media Awards.