Drylongso (Cauleen Smith, 1998)

Cauleen Smith | 1998 | USA | 81’

A rediscovered gem of 1990s DIY filmmaking, Cauleen Smith’s Drylongso weaves a penetrating look at racial injustice with a lovingly handmade murder mystery/buddy movie/romance. Pica, a bold and outspoken art student, is alarmed by the increasing number of young Black men dying around her—men she believes are “becoming extinct.” In an effort to preserve their existence, she begins photographing them with her Polaroid camera. Along the way, she befriends a woman escaping an abusive relationship,  navigates the highs and lows of love and grief, and becomes entangled in the search for a serial killer stalking the city. Capturing the vibrant community spirit of Oakland California in the nineties, Drylongso is both a rare celebration of Black female creativity and a poignant elegy for a generation of lost African American men.

The film was shot by Smith during her graduate years at UCLA and given a 4K digital restoration by Janus Films in 2022.