Afrofuturist art star Cauleen Smith’s UCLA thesis film embeds an incisive look at racial injustice within a lovingly handmade buddy movie-murder mystery-romance. Observing the alarming rate at which the young Black men around her are dying, Oakland art student Pica begins preserving their existence in snapshots, along the way forging a friendship with a gender-nonconforming young woman, and being drawn into the search for a serial killer who is terrorizing the city. Capturing the vibrant community spirit of Oakland in the nineties, Smith crafts a celebration of Black female creativity, and a moving elegy for a generation of lost African American men. (Rebecca Fons) Screened in 2023 when a new restoration was released.
25 For 25
To celebrate 25 years on State Street, the 25 For 25 series revisits standout titles from our State Street history, spotlighting films that have lit up our screens since 2001 and reflecting on the Siskel Film Center’s programming legacy. Each selection connects to a past Siskel program, highlighting the Siskel Film Center’s long-standing commitment to diverse and innovative curation.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu