The Watermelon Woman

Cheryl Dunye's debut feature THE WATERMELON WOMAN is as controversial as it is sexy and funny. 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. Cheryl is surprised to discover that Richards (known popularly as "the Watermelon Woman") had a white lesbian lover. At the same time, Cheryl falls in love with a very cute white customer at the video store (Guinevere Turner from Go Fish). Such are the complexities of race and sex in this startlingly fresh debut, which has been attacked by conservative Congressmen for having been funded by the NEA and lavishingly praised in the editorial pages for being charming and courageous. (Source: First Run Features)
Produced by Barry Swimar (PARIS IS BURNING) and Alexandra Juhasz, Dunye's debut feature follows Cheryl, played by herself, as she struggles to make a video-documentary about a beautiful 1930's film actress popularly know as "the Watermelon Woman." The film features many notables from the lesbian and gay community including: Guin Turner (GO FISH), Sarah Schulman, Camille Paglia and highlights the photography of Zoe Leonard. The film is currently being theatrically distributed in the U.S. by First Run Features. (Source: www.cheryldunye.com)