Official selection
2020 Cinequest, RapidLion The South African International Film Festival 2020
Honors
Best South African Film - 2020 - RapidLion/South African International Film Festival
Best Cinematography - 2020 - RapidLion/South African International Film Festival
Best Editing - 2020 - RapidLion/South African International Film Festival
Director
Ryan Kruger
Cast
Chanelle De Jager, Gary Green, Bianka Hartenstein, Sean Cameron Michael, Jonathan Pienaar
Producer
James C. Williamson, Ryan Kruger
Cinematographer
Gareth Place
Sound Designer
HAEZER
Composer
HAEZER
Editor
Stephen Du Plessis
contact
The Department of Special Projects
Official website
Join us on August 28 at 4:00pm EDT for a live Q&A with Director and Writer Ryan Kruger, and Producer James C. Williamson
Barry isn’t the best example of humanity. He’s a bad father, a bad friend, and not particularly good at anything, and it’s an unfortunate turn for our species that – “fried” on heroin yet again – he becomes the first homo sapiens encountered by a visiting alien. Taking up residence in his brain, that alien pilots Barry on a multi-day tear through an apocalyptically shit-stained Cape Town, gaining a profound first impression from its assorted scum and villainy. Getting high, getting laid, and getting kidnapped by human traffickers are just a few of the stops on this mondo-esque rampage – but is there enough light in Barry’s world for the alien to pick up positive behaviour as well? Will Barry’s newfound psychic superpowers be used for good, or just another romp around the red-light district? And is this all just the drugs talking?
A bold new entry in South African cinema, Ryan Kruger’s debut feature bears all the filthy hallmarks of a director who came up making metal videos and experimental shorts (including the short that inspired this film). Matching acidic, piss-soaked cinematography with lo-fi visual effects and a pulsating synth soundtrack, it recalls the grottiest shot-on-video trash, taking a wild tour through a city beset by violence and desperation, and finding absurdity in its depraved depths. Newcomer Gary Green leads a cast of over 100 with a highly-strung, intensely physical performance as a being freshly exploring the entirety of the titular wastoid’s sensory spectrum – and finding only madness within. Oozing dread and dripping grime, FRIED BARRY is a wild adventure through the fringes of humanity – and, via its central metaphor, an insightful investigation of addiction, mental illness, and society’s treatment of both. – Andrew Todd
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