An arresting feature debut about a man returning home to a community that has been transformed, Merawi Gerima's Residue is honest enough about its protagonist's emotions and motivations that it's likely to cause discomfort in viewers wherever they fall on the socioeconomic spectrum.
Elliptical and teasingly (but beautifully) photographed, it can give the impression of an experimental work but ultimately has a direct story to tell, one whose specificity doesn't in the least diminish its broader relevance.
Like the filmmaker, Jay (Obinna Nwachukwu) grew up in a Washington, D.C., neighborhood surrounded by Black kids. His family moved off the block in hopes of escaping drug-dealing activity, and later, Jay fled entirely —moving to California.
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