Cauleen Smith’s feature debut Drylongso takes an incisive look at racial injustice, intertwining buddy movie, romance, and mystery genres. Alarmed by the rate at which the young Black men around her are dying, brash Oakland, California, art student Pica (Toby Smith) attempts to preserve their existence in Polaroid snapshots. Along the way, she forges a friendship with a woman in an abusive relationship (April Barnett) and experiences love, heartbreak, and the everyday threat of violence. Capturing the vibrant community spirit of Oakland in the ’90s, Smith crafts both a rare cinematic celebration of Black female creativity and a moving elegy for a generation of lost African American men. Recent restoration of this film was undertaken by the Criterion Collection, Janus Films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, supervised by the director. (Cauleen Smith, 1998, DCP, 86 minutes)
Preceded by Songs for Earth and Folk, a short composed entirely of 16 mm and Super 8 found footage. Structured like a blues song, this work features a live-improvised electro-organic soundtrack created by Chicago-based band the Eternals. (Cauleen Smith, 2013, DCP, 11 minutes)
Part of the film series Cauleen Smith – In Space, In Time
The end time for this event is estimated. End times may vary with post-screening discussion, audience Q&A, or other factors. All film events finish by 5:00 p.m.