Drylongso

Cauleen Smith’s overlooked DIY classic from 1998 is a potent examination of the power of art and love in the midst of social upheaval.

Low-key yet capacious, Drylongso is an affectionate art-school razz&#59; a study of female friendship&#59; a reflection on gender, race, & violence&#59; a murder mystery&#59; and a portrait of Oakland. Among its many pleasures, it reveals the unexpected in the everyday.

Smith braids politics, friendship and romance throughout “Drylongso.”

Smith’s independent masterpiece...

This isn’t a film just about death, rather it is about how Pica and her friend Tobi find the strength to thrive personally and artistically in a hostile world.

...its variably professional actors make for some awkward moments. But as a sort of mosaic, loosely narrative-driven but digressive and observant, it feels like an invaluable, hand-sculpted take on a particular time and place...

An offering from the heart.

Smith’s 1998 film exudes the DIY charm of a low-budget, first-time feature while keenly depicting the complexities of both race- and gender-related inequalities.

Funny, frank, and wide-ranging in where it looks, Drylongso easily sells the work of portraiture as a lush variety of performance on its own, accomplishing, too, the elusive trick of making it look organic -- almost as though her images were simply found.

Mesmerizing! Captivating, provocative and heartfelt. Like Pica, writer/director Cauleen Smith is also a brave, honest and perceptive artist. Her passion, determination and intelligence shine through.