A man rolls his “morning twist” of marijuana.

A young girl laments her dead soul mate while explaining her psychedelic, drug-induced artwork.

A group waves their arms in rhythm as they weave in and out of each other in a hypnotic and quasi-spiritual dance.

And they’ve all got one thing in common: the hair.

The hair is what matters in Dreadheads: Portrait of a Subculture, directed by rookie filmmakers Steven Hurlburt and Flournoy Holmes. The film focuses on the group of people known as “Dreadheads” or “dreaddies” — people with dreadlocks who flock together in their search for freedom, ganja and good music.

At first, it appears as though all these people are the same stereotypical social outcasts one might expect — white trash still lost in the hippie movement of the sixties and destined to remain anonymous. However, the camera lens manages to find variety and intelligence among this group of misfits. Some wear dreads because they want to feel free. Some feel dreads give them a source of spiritual power and energy. And others just do it to attract chicks. No matter what the situation, the people on screen are at the very least interesting and at the very best flesh-and-blood human beings we can actually feel for.

Hurlburt and his crew should be applauded for leaving no stone untouched in their exploration of their subject. Problems with lice, the influence of Rastafarianism and issues of prejudice are only a few of the subjects investigated. Musicians such as Bob Weir from the Grateful Dead and authors like David Gans give welcome commentaries on the rise of dreadhead culture and provide the film with a welcome sense of scope and variety. Who would guess there was so much to know about dreadlocks?

Unfortunately, at times it seems Dreadheads tries to do too much. While Hurlburt gives certain topics the respect they deserve, others barely receive a few minutes of screen time. The result is an uneven film that at times seems pitch perfect and at others superficial and dull. Its brief 77-minute running time is perhaps too long to spend listening to people talk about hair without digging deeper into core issues such as spirituality, drugs or even dreadhead sex.

The film opens with the quote: “It’s one of the last places in society that you can disappear into and not be found.” Hurlburt and Holmes have succeeded in helping one of society’s lost subcultures find a voice, and although it comes across a bit shaky, it’s a welcome start.

Steven Hurlburt will present Dreadheads at the Campus Cinema this Friday.