A lost treasure of 1990s DIY filmmaking, Cauleen Smith’s Drylongso embeds an incisive look at racial injustice within a lovingly handmade buddy movie/murder mystery/romance. Capturing the vibrant community spirit of Oakland in the nineties, Smith crafts both a rare cinematic celebration of Black female creativity and a moving elegy for a generation of lost African American men.

* Smith is a member of the second generation of LA Rebellion film students who attended the University of California-Los Angeles, following in the footsteps of Julie Dash, Haile Gerima and others. Despite premiering this debut feature at Sundance, she became disillusioned with the film industry and began creating short, avantgarde films and installations. Smith later transitioned into the art world, where she is a star today. [GD]