The Watermelon Woman

Directed by Cheryl Dunye
Starring Cheryl Dunye, Valarie Walker, Guinevere Turner 

‘The Watermelon Woman’ was the name given to the mythical Fae Richards, a beautiful yet elusive black Actress from the 1930’s. In all her films, it was her only billing, why should that be? It is a mystery that perplexes Cheryl (Cheryl Dunye), a young black film maker. She sets out to solve the mystery by making a documentary about this forgotten star, while finding romance along the way with a customer at her video store. 

Our take: The Watermelon Woman balances a romantic comedy with a serious inquiry on black and queer women in Hollywood. Witness a truly great piece of filmmaking as Cheryl, a black lesbian tolling away at a video store, becomes determined to create a documentary of an actress she’s captivated with. A story about stories: the stories industries show us and the stories we tell ourselves.