To the strains of an accordion, a man equipped with a sweeping brush is trying to catch a very disobedient sheet of paper, which keeps flying away! Tom Sweep is a man determined to wear his name well. And wherever he goes, he also brings a wheelie bin with him, into which he tips rubbish from the bins well placed all around the city. And yet, what does he notice? Litter all over the ground despite the bins’ handy presence on the pavements! People whizz by and seem happy to throw their rubbish everywhere except in a bin ...
Everything is clear in this short film, including the minimalist aesthetics, with yellow proving a smart choice of background colour. It is a bright yellow, a perfect backdrop for the characters. Tom is clad in his work clothes, a pair of blue overalls. All of the characters look like they have stepped out of a cartoon and revel in the dynamic animation. Each one has a distinctive feature that encapsulates their personality. Tourists are portrayed as a colourful and noisy mass, and we see a woman who skips with her tennis racket and a shy man who hides in his big orange coat and a red hat. We understand this man’s coyness when Tom Sweep moves on, because that’s when the man hurries over to the bin and starts rummaging for a bite to eat. Although the hungry chap doesn’t add to the litter – which is no surprise, as he has nothing to discard – he doesn’t pick up any of the contents of the bin after emptying them out. So Tom Sweep is fighting an endless battle against the lack of consideration of his fellow citizens. But then, along comes a particular young man; and Tom is on standby with his trusty sweeping brush … This delightful short film presents a humorous and very realistic portrayal of our day-to-day behaviour. It also highlights the dignity and honour of the seldom-celebrated women and men who work to make our cities bright and clean.
