“Our history is what we make it.”
VIBE CHECK:
90s Indie / Meta-Mockumentary / Lo-Fi / Intellectual / Romantic
THE PLOT:
Cheryl (Cheryl Dunye), a young Black lesbian working at a video store in Philadelphia, is obsessed with film history. She notices a recurring Black actress in 1930s films who is only ever credited as "The Watermelon Woman." Cheryl decides to make a documentary to uncover this woman’s true identity. Along the way, she navigates a complicated romance with a white customer, Diana (Guinevere Turner), while realizing that the search for the "Watermelon Woman" is actually a search for her own place in the world.
THE QUEER & RADICAL ANGLE:
The Radical Archive: The film is radical for its "inventive" use of fake archival footage to insert Black lesbian history where it was previously invisible.
Intersectionality Before the Buzzword: It explores the "intersections of race, gender, and sexuality" with a lightness of touch that was decades ahead of its time.
Queer Agency: Cheryl isn't a victim; she is a "creator, a lover, and a historian" who refuses to let the past—or her girlfriend’s microaggressions—define her.
WHY IT KILLS:
It is "funny, smart, and deeply charismatic." Cheryl Dunye’s direct-to-camera addresses make the film feel like a conversation with a brilliant friend. The chemistry between Dunye and Guinevere Turner (Go Fish) captures the specific, messy energy of the 90s lesbian scene. It’s a film that understands that "sometimes you have to create your own history" to truly see yourself.
Watermelon Woman 1996 film Cheryl Dunye
HISTORY SCORE: 9.8 / 10 🎥🍉
