Watermelon Woman (The)
- Director: Cheryl Dunye
- Writer: Cheryl Dunye
- Producer: Alexandra Juhasz; Barry Swimar
CGiii Comment
Dunye writes, directs and acts - well, she needn't have bothered.
Delegation is an under-used skill.
This is too earnest, tries too hard and eventually gives you a thumping headache - with the constant rabbiting dialogue.
It narrowly manages to escape the worst-lesbian-film-ever category - but, it is a very narrow miss.
Trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
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.
Cast & Characters
Cheryl Dunye as Cheryl;
Guinevere Turner as Diana;
Valarie Walker as Tamara;
Lisa Marie Bronson as Fae 'The Watermelon Woman' Richards;
Cheryl Clarke as June Walker;
Irene Dunye as Herself;
Brian Freeman as Lee Edwards;
Camille Paglia as Herself;
Sarah Schulman as CLIT Archivist;
V.S. Brodie as Karaoke Singer;
Shelley Olivier as Annie Heath;
Toshi Reagon as Street Magician;
Emmy Collins as Video Browser;
Mickey Goldhaber as Featured;
K. Brent Hill as J.J. Liberty