As an outlet for her dysfunctional home life, she photographs young African American men with the belief they are an "endangered species" who may one day become extinct.

In the early 1990s, Cauleen Smith was working at the Haight Asbury Free Clinic and the Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco.

[12][13] Marjorie Baumgarten of The Austin Chronicle wrote, "Cauleen Smith has created a movie that is both enmeshed in the 'same-old, same-old' of urban black culture while simultaneously unearthing unique dimensions and insights.

Effective and engaging performances, penetrating subject matter, and a simple but thoughtful shooting style make Drylongso a movie that is truly extraordinary.

"[14] Oliver Jones of Variety said, "Smith gives an understated performance as Pica, a character who has built walls around her emotions so she can cope with the hardships of life.

"[15] Writing of the film’s re-release, Lisa Kennedy of The New York Times wrote, "It’s not a mystery why this quiet wonder was lost in the Black cinema boom of the 1990s.

But with its themes of Black endangerment (for both males and females) and its nuzzling of many genres (horror, romance, buddy flick), Drylongso returns to us utterly, subtly, chidingly prescient.

"[12] G’sell also noted that the West Oakland captured by Smith "is decidedly not a hotbed of destitution and despair, but rather home to a close-knit working- and middle-class community — a place of candy-colored houses with echoing staircases, sun-splotched sidewalks, and Black-owned bookstores.