Event

Medicine For Melancholy

Medicine For Melancholy
(Barry Jenkins, USA, 2008, DigiBeta, 87 min)

Barry Jenkins' debut feature begins one morning in San Francisco, in the awkward aftermath of a one-night stand between two African-American twenty-somethings (The Daily Show's Wyatt Cenac and newcomer Tracey Heggins). After a sobering cup of coffee, they part, but within hours, the guy contrives to track the girl down. His ingenuity and charm pay off when he convinces her to spend the rest of the day with him. As they walk the city streets, visiting some of its cultural landmarks, they learn more about each other, discussing their circumstances and their differing attitudes towards issues of class and identity while living in a city that, as a consequence of its gentrification, has seen its black population dwindle. This is American independent cinema at its finest, and Jenkins has emerged as a talent worthy of celebration.