[19] It was released on DVD on September 5, 2000. In the letter she says that she is angry with Martha Page, that Martha had nothing to do with Fae's life. Cheryl Dunye. "[26] She praised Dunye's "engaging personality" and said that she "has infused [the film] with a lightness that seems to match her spirit. Dunye decided that she was going to use her work to create a story for black women in early films, which became The Watermelon Woman. The Watermelon Woman. Directed by. [8][14], Representative Peter Hoekstra, the chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee's United States House Education Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, also read DeLombard's review. 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. Cheryl, a young black lesbian, works a day job in a video store while trying to make a film about a black actress from the 1930s known for playing the stereotypical "mammy" roles relegated to black actresses during that period. The Watermelon Woman champions recovered knowledge as the primary means to reverse the systemic erasure and closeting of gay histories. Two middle-aged, lesbian couples accidentally kill a younger lesbian and hide the body, without reporting it to the authorities. The Watermelon Woman ... was one of the first films to speak to both black lesbian identity and the historically stereotyped depiction of black women in Hollywood cinema through the story of a video store clerk (played by the director) who becomes fascinated by an obscure African-American actress from the 1930s known as the Watermelon Woman. However, she quickly discovered that neither had the specific resources she was looking for and accessing them was beyond her budget for the film, causing her to stage 78 of the archival photographs featured in the film. Cheryl Dunye writes, directs in stars in The Watermelon Woman. (1996). As Cheryl and Diana grow closer, Tamara makes it clear that she dislikes Diana and disapproves of their relationship. [6], The Watermelon Woman was made on a budget of $300,000, financed by a $31,500 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), a fundraiser, and donations from friends of Dunye. Cheryl goes to Diana's house, stays for dinner, and watches some of the tapes with her, telling her about her project. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. 17 of 20 people found this review helpful. And though Black Lives Matter hadn't yet become a rallying cry, its genesis is inherent in The Watermelon Woman.Cheryl Dunye, you and The Watermelon Woman are a oner! Synopsis. Cheryl is a twenty-something black lesbian working as a clerk in a video store while struggling to make a documentary about Fae Richards. As she's discovering these things, Cheryl becomes involved with Diana, who's also White. Title: As Cheryl says near the film’s beginning, her films “have to be about black women, because our stories have never been told.” It’s … 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. Black people, more specifically black women, even more specifically queer black women have been kept anonymous in the archives, unaccredited and held back from accessing a culture which carries pain but also power. Cheryl portrays Cheryl, a fictionalized version of herself as a Philadelphia video store clerk on a quest to complete a documentary. [25] He said that the film "lets you find your own way to its central message about cultural history and the invisibility of those shunted to the margins. A free-spirited black video store clerk named Cheryl, played by Duyne, harbors aspirations of becoming a documentary filmmaker. [29], The film was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in 2016 as part of its film collection. She is forced to question assumptions about what it means to be a Lesbian and both a woman and a woman of color.And here is where The Watermelon Woman becomes as timely as it was back in 1996. "[11] The story explores the difficulty in navigating archival sources that either excludes or ignores black lesbians working in Hollywood,[10] particularly that of actress Fae Richards whose character bore the name that provides the title for the film. 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. Her character is researching a beautiful Black actress from the 1930s, who never received a credit in her films. Summary: A faux-documentary about a long-forgotten black actress and her effect on Hollywood. It stars Dunye as Cheryl, a young black lesbian working a day job in a video store while trying to make a film about a black actress from the 1930s known for playing the stereotypical "mammy" roles relegated to black actresses during the period. Details: 1996, USA, 90 mins. She watches a film called Plantation Memories with a Black actress who is credited simply as "The Watermelon Woman". Cheryl is a twenty-something black lesbian working as a clerk in a video store while struggling to make a documentary about Fae Richards, an obscure black actress from the 1930's. The Watermelon Woman ein Film von Cheryl Dunye mit Cheryl Dunye, Guinevere Turner. Cheryl Dunye, Guinevere Turner, Valerie Walker, Lisa Marie Bronson, “Funky screwball comedy in the key of queer” is how critic B. Ruby Rich characterized The Watermelon Woman, the first feature of video artist/comedienne Cheryl Dunye. "[28], To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Teddy Awards, the film was selected to be shown at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2016. Their guilt and long-kept, dark secret comes back to haunt ... See full summary ». The Watermelon Woman 1996 1 hr 25 mins Cheryl Dunye plays a version of herself in this witty, nimble landmark of New Queer Cinema. "[27] In a review for The Austin Chronicle, Marjorie Baumgarten called the film "smart, sexy [...] funny, historically aware, and stunningly contemporary. The Watermelon Woman is one of the best WLW films of the 90s. Jetzt im Kino Synopsis. Diana. Cheryl decides to make a documentary about the Watermelon Woman and find out more about her life. Cheryl becomes interested in films from the 1930s and 40s which feature Black actresses. [4], In 1996, The Watermelon Woman won the Teddy Award for Best Feature Film at the Berlin International Film Festival,[23] and the Audience Award for Outstanding Narrative Feature at L.A. [4], The production team decided against going to the Library of Congress to obtain materials and license them due to the costs, so instead Dunye and Zoe Leonard created new footage meant to resemble video from the 1930s and had an author of plays, Ira Jeffries, take additional photographs in the same style. United States, 1996. Set in Philadelphia, The Watermelon Woman is the story of Cheryl, a twenty-something black lesbian struggling to make a documentary about Fae Richards, a beautiful and elusive 1930s black film actress popularly known as "The Watermelon Woman." Here was a tsunami of vivid, fresh air.Cheryl Dunye -- writer, director, star -- had created something utterly new. Filmmaker Cheryl Dunye's relationship with her brother is examined in this mixture of appropriated film footage, super 8mm home movies and Dunye's special brand of humor. A Brooklyn teenager juggles conflicting identities and risks friendship, heartbreak, and family in a desperate search for sexual expression. Following various leads, Cheryl discovers the Watermelon Woman's stage name and real name and surmises that the actress had a … In this paper, I analyze the film and discuss the effectiveness of intersectionality and Dunyementary, which Dunye used to examine race, class, and With incisive humor, Dunye slyly … [24], Critical reviews of the film were generally positive. A young black lesbian filmmaker probes into the life of The Watermelon Woman, a 1930s black actress who played 'mammy' archetypes. Many times the credits for these women were left out of the film. The 1996 film The Watermelon Woman is the work of African American lesbian filmmaker Cheryl Dunye. Tamara tries to set Cheryl up with her friend Yvette, but Cheryl is not interested. [15] Because of this controversy, the NEA restructured itself by awarding grants to specific projects rather than giving funding straight to arts groups for disbursement.[16]. Cheryl Dunye. She says that Fae was always with Martha Page, the white director of Plantation Memories. [11], Dunye has said she found inspiration from the films Swoon and Norman... Is That You?. With Diana's help, Cheryl manages to contact Martha Page's sister who denies that Martha was a lesbian. Direction: Cheryl Dunye. The Watermelon Woman invites us to think about this in a more historical context and thus pulls out the heritage of this power struggle. Shirley tells her that the Watermelon Woman's name was Fae Richards, that she was a lesbian too, and that she used to sing in clubs "for all us stone butches". [30][dead link], Bryan-Wilson, Julia, and Cheryl Dunye. Cheryl meets her mother's friend Shirley, who turns out to be a lesbian. When confronted about the omissions in film history, Dunye replied, "That it's going to take more than just my film for that picture to be corrected," says Dunye. [4], In 1993 Dunye was doing research for a class on black film history, by looking for information on black actresses in early films. Starring: Guinevere Turner, Cheryl Dunye. It's like she never existed, a mere celluloid presence, nothing more.As she probes deeper into the actress's past, Ms. Dunye begins peeling away her own reality. Burke Moody Erstaufführung 10.7.2001 Video Notiz fd 23/01 S. 38; Darsteller They have sex, and Cheryl decides that although Diana is not her usual type of woman, she likes being with her. [6] The film also features a number of appearances by LGBT art figures such as Cheryl Clarke, Camille Paglia, David Rakoff, Sarah Schulman and others. [19][20], The Watermelon Woman aired on the Sundance Channel on August 12, 1998. See the fabulous presenters and gracious winners at this year's Oscars. Cheryl on The Watermelon Woman. They arrange to meet, but June is taken to hospital and leaves a letter for Cheryl instead. The Watermelon Woman. A cause for celebration, this 20th Anniversary DVD release. Cheryl starts interviewing members of the public, asking them if they have heard of the Watermelon Woman. Was this review helpful to you? Check out some of our favorite superhero stars from movies and television, before they suited up. The Watermelon Woman is more a cultural document, addressing speculative sociological gay history themes with an interesting and engaging cover story about a video store clerk named Cheryl (played by Dunye) who, in her research for a movie, comes across an old-time black actress simply called "the watermelon woman" and becomes obsessed with her persona. More discoveries bring Cheryl (and us, her audience) to new realizations. The Watermelon Woman. Cheryl meets cultural critic Camille Paglia who tells her about the Mammy archetype, saying that it represented a goddess figure. The story of a black lesbian's relationship with a white, upper middle class high school girl. This FAQ is empty. An awards ceremony to honor Cheryl and honor her with official Cheryl Dunye Day and a special Q & A…. Directed by: Cheryl Dunye. The Watermelon Woman 20th Year Anniversary. Hoekstra wrote a letter to the NEA chairwoman, Jane Alexander, stating that The Watermelon Woman "is one of several gay- and lesbian-themed works cited by the Michigan Republican as evidence of 'the serious possibility that taxpayer money is being used to fund the production and distribution of patently offensive and possibly pornographic movies.'" Tamara's mother tells Cheryl to get in contact with Lee Edwards, a man who has done a lot of research into Black films. Trailer. 90 min. Check out the full list of winners. An aspiring black lesbian filmmaker (Cheryl Dunye) researches an obscure 1940s black actress billed as the Watermelon Woman. Cheryl Dunye plays a version of herself in this witty, nimble landmark of New Queer Cinema, restored for its 20th…. FX Docuseries ‘Pride’ Sets Director Lineup, Gets May Premiere Date, Cheryl Dunye Wants to Create the Black Lesbian Canon of Fiction, Berlinale: Teddy Awards Lineup Offers a Surprising Cross-Section of New Queer Cinema, A Celebration of LGBTQ+ Stories On Screen Watchlist, Important Black Stories in Film, Streaming for Free, What to Watch: LGBTQIA+ Movie and TV Picks. She tells Cheryl that she used to hear the Watermelon Woman singing in clubs in Philadelphia. The affair strains Cheryl's friendship with Tamara. It was the first feature film directed by a black lesbian[2][3] and is considered a landmark in New Queer Cinema. A cutting-edge work at the height of … 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. The first feature film directed by a black lesbian, Cheryl Dunye’s The Watermelon Woman presents a striking alternate narrative to conventional black representation throughout film history. She urges Cheryl to tell their history. 570 likes. [9], Emanuel Levy rated the film as a "B", writing that it was "only a matter of time before a woman of color made a lesbian film. Drama. Having separated from Diana, and fallen out with Tamara, Cheryl finishes her project, never managing to make more contact with June. More discoveries bring Cheryl (and us, her audience) to new realizations. Cheryl. Cast. For in confronting her own marginalization, Ms. Dunye makes crystal clear why today's Black Lives Matter is so important to today's America. 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. The Watermelon Woman ist ein Drama aus dem Jahr 1996 von Cheryl Dunye mit Cheryl Dunye, Guinevere Turner und Lisa Marie Bronson. Watermelon Woman. . The first African-American lesbian feature film turns twenty. Additionally, Cheryl has a budding … Cheryl and Tamara go to see Lee, and he tells them about 1920s and 30s Black culture in Philadelphia. It follows the fictional Cheryl, an aspiring filmmaker. [25] He praised Dunye for her "talent and open-heartedness" and enjoyed the film's moments of comedy. The Watermelon Woman [10][4], In the film, the protagonist Cheryl, played by the director, is an aspiring black lesbian filmmaker attempting to bring about the history of black lesbians in cinematic history while attempting to produce her own work, saying "our stories have never been told. Cheryl goes to the Center for Lesbian Information and Technology (CLIT), and finds photographs of Fae Richards, including one given by Fae to a June Walker. A man who has struggled personally has conflicts with his upwardly mobile lawyer brother and well to-do fiancee and is reluctantly to be the best man at their wedding. Movie Info. The Watermelon Woman won the Teddy Bear for best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. Written by [13] On June 14, Julia Duin wrote an article for The Washington Times, quoting DeLombard's review and questioning the $31,500 grant given to Dunye by the NEA. Genres: New Queer Cinema, Mockumentary, Comedy. A spokesperson for Hoekstra said that he had no problem with gay content, just those that contained explicit sex. An aspiring black lesbian filmmaker (Cheryl Dunye) researches an obscure 1940s black actress billed as the Watermelon Woman. The Watermelon Woman: Drama/Tragikomödie 1996 von Alexandra Juhasz/Barry Swimar mit Toshi Reagon/Lisa Marie Bronson/Cheryl Dunye. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. As she's discovering these things, Cheryl becomes involved with Diana, who's also White. Languid look at the Gullah culture of the sea islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia where African folk-ways were maintained well into the 20th Century and was one of the last ... See full summary ». Guinevere Turner. "Imaginary Archives: A Dialogue. (61) IMDb 7.1 1 h 23 min 1997 18+. "[27] He said that while "[p]oking fun at various sacred cows in American culture", it "makes statements about the power of narrative and the ownership of history. There needs to be a focus that gets them working, getting some of those Academy Awards like they should. USA. [4], For the production of the film, Dunye conducted her research at the Lesbian Herstory Archive and the Library of Congress. For me, used to seeing Lesbians or gay men like myself held up for mockery or derision or contempt, it was a revelation to see Lesbians portrayed as just part of the human tapestry, regular people making it through the day, paying bills, falling in and out of lust and love.For that alone, The Watermelon Woman deserves high praise. [9] Made up of 78 images, the collection later was exhibited in galleries and as a book. Like any work of art -- and make no mistake, The Watermelon Woman is a work of art, indeed -- meanings change over time. She interviews her mother who does not remember the name, but recognises a photograph of her. Crew. But a mere five minutes into The Watermelon Woman, I knew I was in the presence of something special, indeed. While uncovering the meaning of Fae Richards' life, Cheryl experiences a total upheaval in her personal life. In The Watermelon Woman, Cheryl (played by Dunye) is a twenty-something Black lesbian struggling to make a documentary about the beautiful and elusive 1930s actress popularly known as the Watermelon Woman.As she searches for the Watermelon Woman, twists and turns in Cheryl’s personal and professional life put love and friendship to the test. Dunye was selected as one of POWER UP's 2008 Top-10 Powerful Women in Showbiz. The affair strains Cheryl's friendship with Tamara. Entdecke alle Informationen über The Watermelon Woman, videos und neuesten Nachrichten. Use the HTML below. When “The Watermelon Woman” came out 20 years ago, it was the first feature by and about a black lesbian. Stephen Holden of The New York Times called the film "both stimulating and funny". He explains to them that in those days, Black women usually played domestic servants. But it is about so much more. View production, box office, & company info. Looking for more? [22] To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the Metrograph in New York City screened the film for a week in 2016. Here she was, placing a Black Lesbian at the center, unapologetic about her same-sex longing and needs, about her rich magnetic Blackness, her fierce yet tender femaleness. "[5] The film’s title is a play on the Melvin Van Peebles’s film The Watermelon Man (1970). Financial analysis of The Watermelon Woman (1997) including budget, domestic and international box office gross, DVD and Blu-ray sales reports, total earnings and profitability. DCP. It stars Dunye as Cheryl, a young black lesbian working a day job in a video store while trying to make a film about a black actress from the 1930s known for playing the stereotypical "mammy" roles relegated to black actresses during the period. Rated the #69 best film of 1996, and #5894 in the greatest all-time movies (according to RYM users). The Watermelon Woman. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Cheryl telephones June Walker, learning that she was Fae's partner for 20 years. The Watermelon Woman is a 1996 American romantic comedy-drama film written, directed, and edited by Cheryl Dunye. Add the first question. The Watermelon Woman premiered at the 1996 Berlin International Film Festival and played at several other international film festivals during 1996 and 1997, including the New York Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, L.A. Outfest, the San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, the Tokyo International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, the Créteil International Women's Film Festival, the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, and the Toronto International Film Festival. "[9] She praised the "footage" of Fae Richards and Zoe Leonard's work on the photo archive of the fictional actress as "one of the film's joys". Of Plantation Memories with a white, upper middle class high school girl about long-forgotten. 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