Cauleen Smith
| Cauleen Smith | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
September 25, 1967 Riverside, CA |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Kelly Gabron |
| Occupation | Filmmaker, artist |
| Known for | Film |
Cauleen Smith (born September 25, 1967) is an American born filmmaker and multimedia artist. She is best known for her experimental works that address the African American identity, specifically the issues facing black women today. Her rise into the spotlight first occurred with her much acclaimed feature film Drylongso earning her national recognition as a filmmaker. Her film style reflects the influence of her college mentors Angela Davis, Trinh T. Minh-ha, and Lynn Hershman Leeson. Cauleen currently resides in Chicago and is working multiple projects that explore the life of renowned jazz musician Sun Ra.
When Smith graduated from John F. Kennedy High School. She was a talented cello player and accepted a music scholarship from Chapman University in Orange, California, but soon realized that her true passion was film. She transferred to San Francisco State University, a school known for a strong film program.
In 1991 Smith completed her B.A in Cinema at San Francisco State University. While a student there, she completed several films, two of which received a lot of attention; Daily Rains which was completed in 1990, and Chronicles of a Lying Spirit by Kelly Gabron which was fully completed in 1993.
Once she finished her B.A., Smith was accepted into M.F.A. program at UCLA. It was her work there that gained worldwide recognition. In her second year of the program, Smith decided to shoot a feature-length film titled Drylongso. However, it was against UCLA’s rules for film students to shoot feature-length films, “and for good reason, you don’t know what you are doing!” according to Smith. She was, after some struggles, able to complete the film, and it got a significant amount of attention at the Sundance Film Festival, and took home several Best Film awards from other festivals, mentioned below. In 1998, Smith graduated from UCLA with her M.F.A. and a growing reputation as an up-and-coming force in the film industry.
In 2007, she attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine.
Drylongso was a highly acclaimed film that gained Smith much attention and popularity. Smith made the movie while completing film school at the University of California, Los Angeles. The film takes place in Oakland, CA and follows a young African American woman named Pica, on her quest to photograph her concept of a dying breed, referring to African American men. The movie follows Pica through the attrition of the young black men around her and how she balances this with her dysfunctional family's struggles. The film brings up the topic of gang violence that took place in Oakland which claimed the lives of many innocent African American young men. Drylongso is an old African American term meaning "same old" or "everyday". Drylongso was well received at many film festivals, most notably Sundance Film Festival. in 2000,Drylongso also won best feature at the Urbanworld Festival, Los Angeles Pan-African Film Festival, and the Philadelphia International Film Festival. Yusuf Bey's son Sayyed Yusuf Bey had a minor acting role in the film, he was photographed by the main character Pica.
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