A young black lesbian filmmaker probes into the life of The Watermelon Woman, a 1930s black actress who played 'mammy' archetypes.
Director:
Cheryl DunyeWriter:
Cheryl Dunye
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Title: The Watermelon Woman (1996)
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2 wins.
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Cast
| Credited cast: | |||
| Cheryl Dunye | ... | Cheryl | |
| Guinevere Turner | ... | Diana | |
 |
Valarie Walker | ... | Tamara |
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Lisa Marie Bronson | ... | Fae 'The Watermelon Woman' Richards |
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Cheryl Clarke | ... | June Walker |
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Irene Dunye | ... | Self |
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Brian Freeman | ... | Lee Edwards |
|
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Camille Paglia | ... | Self |
|
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Sarah Schulman | ... | CLIT Archivist |
|
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V.S. Brodie | ... | Karaoke Singer |
|
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Shelley Olivier | ... | Annie Heath |
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Toshi Reagon | ... | Street Magician |
| Emmy Collins | ... | Video Browser | |
| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Mickey Goldhaber | ... | Featured |
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K. Brent Hill | ... | J.J. Liberty |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
See All (13) »
Storyline
Cheryl is young, Black, and lesbian, working in Philadelphia with her best friend Tamara and consumed by a film project: to make a video about her search for a Black actress from Philly who appeared in films in the 30s and was known as the Watermelon Woman. Following various leads, Cheryl discovers the Watermelon Woman's stage name and real name and surmises that the actress had a long affair with Martha Page, a White woman and one of Hollywood's few female directors. As she's discovering these things, Cheryl becomes involved with Diana, who's also White. The affair strains Cheryl's friendship with Tamara. More discoveries bring Cheryl (and us, her audience) to new realizations. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
Plot Keywords:
triple f rated | feminist film | new queer cinema | lesbian | f rated |Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See more on IMDbPro »
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
5 March 1997 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
The Watermelon Woman See more »Edit
Box Office
Opening Weekend USA:
$774, 13 November 2016Gross USA:
$1,989Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$1,989Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
Color
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Street Magician: No ma'am, I'm a magician.
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Did You Know?
Trivia
According to writer/director Cheryl Dunye, much about the character she plays in the film is autobiographical, but the historical references to the Watermelon Woman are fictional: "The Watermelon Woman came from the real lack of any information about the lesbian and film history of African-American women. Since it wasn't happening, I invented it." See more »Quotes
Cheryl: Hey! Hey, you're Martin Pumphrey!Street Magician: No ma'am, I'm a magician.
See more »
Crazy Credits
The film, which seems to be a documentary about Cheryl's search for the obscure actress who inspired her, ends with these printed words: "Sometimes you have to create your own history. The Watermelon Woman is fiction. Cheryl Dunye, 1996" See more »Alternate Versions
In 2016, director Cheryl Dunye's landmark Black Queer Film THE WATERMELON WOMAN was re-released in select theaters and festivals with a pristine 2K HD restoration overseen by the production company 13th Gen, in partnership with Modern Videofilm. The restoration and re-release was sponsored by First Run Features, the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project, and the Toronto International Film Festival. This theatrical tour will be followed by a DVD re-release in early 2017. See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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Inspired by The Farewell director Lulu Wang's call to action at the 2020 Independent Spirit Awards, we celebrate women filmmakers working in their field.
There are themes and issues in this film that are obvious, but well defined and used - lesbianism, racism, interracial relationships.... and the ups and downs of working in a video rental shop. All that aside, I have to say that, for me "The Watermelon Woman" is all about obsession. Ah - obsession! The obsession in this case is our leading lady's obsession with a marginal black actress in black & white movies of days long gone by, credited in the films on as "The Watermelon Woman." Who was she... what was her real name... why was she someone to obsess upon? Our lovely leading lesbian begins a journey of body and mind to find the truth of the Watermelon Woman and her life. I tell you obsession is a wondrous thing... when you find something (or, if you're me, many things) to obsess on, your life will be filed with the richness of discovery.. and you'll never be a boring party guest. So, have a look at "The Watermelon Woman," who knows you may just find yourself obsessed. Super sweet.