This week's Hyde Park Pick

Since its premiere at Sundance in 1999, Cauleen Smith’s glorious gem of a film has rarely been seen which feels like a crime. I’m so glad Drylongso has now been restored from the original 16mm negatives so that more people can enjoy this creative DIY film.

I don’t want to give too much away but, in summary, the film focuses on the brilliant character Pica, a photography student in Oakland, who sees Black men as ‘an endangered species’ and so captures their photos to preserve their existence.

Despite this, and other bleak topics like abusive relationships and serial killings, there is also real beauty and brightness in the film. It’s clear how much heart and effort went into making the film which makes it glow. You also feel so much warmth from the relationships and friendships at the centre of the film.

The main location is Pica’s house which feels like the heart of the film. It’s painted vibrant pinks: the kind Greta Gerwig would be proud of. Pica, like her house, is a source of brightness in her community.

There is a genuine sense of Oakland’s community in Drylongso and this house is a great example of that. Cauleen Smith and her crew really got involved in the Oakland community when making the film and found this house that they thought would work perfectly as the protagonist’s home. The family who owned it said they could use it for filming as long as they bought a water heater and did some repairs.

Smith said, while filming, she slept in the house with all her equipment and barely any locks on the doors for three weeks. She had no trouble because the community was protecting them while they made the film which reminds me of how protective the community in the film is.

There’s great attention to aesthetic detail throughout, from the architecture to fashion. Drylongso’s low budget doesn’t impede the beauty of the film, just like Pica’s character who has limited funds and resources still manages to make powerful art.

‘Drylongso’ is a Gullah-derived word used by southern African American communities meaning ‘ordinary’. This feels like a perfect title for the film as Smith focuses on ordinary Black people’s lives. Simultaneously, it is also a reminder of how scary things can become normalised, for example, there’s a moment when two characters discuss how many funerals they’ve been to that year in passing – a sadly everyday kind of conversation for this community.

Drylongso is Cauleen Smith’s only feature film. After the film’s release, she worked in Hollywood for five years but – frustrated by the lack of opportunities open to her – she then became a professor as well as making short films and multimedia art. Here’s hoping for more feature films by Smith because this is one of the most extraordinary, poignant and unusual films I’ve ever seen.

Drylongso is showing at HPPH on Sun 12 May at 15:10 and Thu 16 May at 17:30. You can book tickets here.