Clean Slate

We also meet other addicts, film professionals consumed by hard drugs in Georgia’s blossoming industry. As one addict says, he was shooting Drop Dead Diva while shooting meth in his arm. Another big surprise is how bonded the audience becomes with the subjects. While the first impressions highlight their current challenges as ex-dope fiends, Detmer and Litton’s dedication to working with film worms them into our good graces.

Detmer, in particular, is extraordinary in his fervor over the whole world of cinema. The way he lights up when in the throes of moviemaking is in direct contrast with the sunken gray look of misery he has when dealing with his habits. We really start rooting for him and Litton, who we find out would be facing a decade in prison if it wasn’t for the program. While I disagree with zero-tolerance policies when trying to break cycles, it seems like A Better Way Ministries keeps them from obliterating themselves.

“…rare…most thoughtful…”

With Clean Slate, we find the unusual appearance of metaphor. This is rare for a documentary, as the format is usually seen as objective instead of figurative. However, Callahan presents us with some of the most thoughtful handling of rain in a while. First, 95% of rainfall in cinema is artificial staging, so real precipitation is a treat. The footage the director uses of Detmer standing in the rain throughout has a poetic sheen. The image is very expressionistic of his emotional state while trying not to get high. The metaphor potential of the rain as a symbol for the onslaught of drug cravings becomes more potent once the weather starts wrecking the production. The images captured during this third act resonate with stunning desperation.

By the time the shooting of the short began, I was much more emotionally invested than I expected to be. It was a pleasure to see the subjects start being defined by their strengths and successes instead of their weaknesses and failures. While the gross details of the depths gone into while fiends are kept discreet, the high stakes of their recovery remain apparent. Clean Slate is the kind of documentary you find yourself living inside of before it is done. It also illustrates how crucial movies are for the generations that came up during the video store era. Callahan’s work here will send out a warm electric hum to a multitude of audience subsections. Everyone involved has reason to be proud.

Clean Slate is a 2023 Award This! Socially Relevant Documentary nominee.